Myofunctional Therapy After Braces & Palate Expansion

Not every child needs myofunctional therapy after palate expansion, but some children benefit from therapy to help establish healthy oral habits.

Myofunctional therapy may be recommended when a child has concerns such as tongue thrust, low tongue posture, mouth breathing, open-mouth posture, or an atypical swallowing pattern.

Therapy focuses on helping the tongue, lips, jaw, and breathing patterns work together more efficiently.

Tongue posture refers to where the tongue rests when your child is not eating or speaking.

Ideally, the tongue should rest comfortably against the roof of the mouth, with the lips gently closed and breathing occurring through the nose. When the tongue rests low in the mouth or pushes against the teeth, it can affect oral function and may be associated with concerns such as tongue thrust, mouth breathing, or certain orthodontic and speech patterns.

A myofunctional evaluation can help determine whether your child's tongue resting posture is functional.

Tongue thrust is a swallowing pattern in which the tongue moves forward or pushes against or between the teeth during swallowing.

Some children may also have a forward or low resting tongue posture, mouth breathing, open-mouth posture, or difficulty producing certain speech sounds.

Tongue thrust can have a number of contributing factors, so an evaluation looks at the child's tongue posture, breathing, swallowing, oral motor function, and speech rather than focusing on the tongue movement alone.

Yes. Persistent mouth breathing can affect the way the lips, tongue, jaw, and other oral muscles function together.

Children who consistently breathe through their mouths may develop an open-mouth resting posture or a low tongue position. Mouth breathing can also be associated with changes in swallowing patterns, oral muscle coordination, and tongue posture.

Because mouth breathing can have many possible causes, including nasal obstruction or airway concerns, myofunctional therapy is often most effective when it is part of a team approach with the child's pediatrician, ENT, dentist, orthodontist, or other appropriate provider.

A myofunctional evaluation is a comprehensive look at how your child's mouth, tongue, lips, jaw, breathing, and swallowing are functioning together.

Depending on your child's age and concerns, we may look at:

• Tongue resting posture

• Lip posture and strength

• Nasal versus mouth breathing

• Tongue movement and coordination

• Swallowing patterns

• Chewing and oral motor skills

• Jaw movement

• Oral habits

• Speech sound production

• History of orthodontic treatment or palate expansion

After the evaluation, we explain our findings and determine whether myofunctional therapy is appropriate. When needed, we also recommend collaboration with your child's orthodontist, dentist, ENT, pediatrician, or other healthcare provider.