Benefits of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)

The benefits of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) are many faceted. If you are among the millions who suffer from sleep apnea, bruxism, TMJ, malocclusion or any number of disorders and are looking for treatment, you may have stumbled across the term Myofunctional Therapy. The broad goals of OMT are to modify behaviors, stop parafunctional habits, improve overall facial muscle tone, correct tongue posture, decrease muscular tension, and establish a lip seal and nasal breathing pattern.

Myofunctional Therapy is painless, the exercises are relatively simple and the end results are truly life-changing. Below are a few reasons to further look into OMT.

• Professionals in the fields of general dentistry, dental hygiene, orthodontics, speech-language pathology, lactation consulting, otolaryngology, osteopathy, and various other medical members work in conjunction with certified Myofunctional Therapists to help treatments go faster and get better results.
• Of all the treatments available to us, Myofunctional Therapy is probably the least invasive. Through isometric and isotonic exercises, performed a few minutes each day, you can improve many common disorders. These exercises can be done anytime and anywhere, such as while you’re fixing dinner, watching TV or taking a shower.
• Oral Myofunctional Therapy is not just about a pretty face. True, it can help straighten your teeth and provide cosmetic benefits, but more important is the impact it can have on facial paralysis, TMD, facial burns and trauma, and tongue tie.
• Another benefit is not having to wear fixed appliances to correct crooked teeth or a misaligned jaw. Studies have shown that using Myofunctional Therapy with a removable appliance can obtain the same results as a fixed appliance. Removable appliances are much easier to clean and healthier for teeth.
• In some patients, Myofunctional Therapy has been proven to cure sleep apnea. Performing a specific set of exercises can strengthen and tone the muscles around the mouth and airway. These exercises are designed to not only enlarge the airway but also help re-condition the muscles so that they do a better job of holding the airway open, allowing for a peaceful night’s rest.
• Who doesn’t want to stop wrinkles? Wrinkles have been linked to incorrect movements such as chewing, swallowing, breathing and even speech. Wrinkles can also be influenced by the exaggerated strain of facial muscles. By doing a few exercises twice a day you can smooth out those unwanted lines.
• 3 out of 4 children show early signs of malocclusion by the time they are five years old. The implications of myofunctional issues go much further than the child’s smile and can affect growth and development, breathing, learning, and behavior. OMT can help get a child back on track with their swallowing and rest posture from a young age.

While it’s true that Oral Myofunctional Therapy works best on younger people, it holds many benefits for people of all ages. Whether you are suffering from sleep apnea, bruxism, TMJ or any number of other conditions, Oral Myofunctional Therapy has been proven to help and even cure some of these disorders.

Do you want to learn more about OMT? Call us at (505) 218-6565 or fill out our contact form to schedule a visit. Sandraluz of Soutwest Myofunctional Therapy is looking forward to making your smile bigger, brighter and healthier.