Orthodontics and Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional therapy is a set of exercises aimed at correcting the muscles and functions of patients, resolving problems in the mouth and jaw areas. It is closely related to orthodontic treatments.

We know that there are many vital functions in the facial area that are relevant to orthodontics.

Chewing function, speaking function, breathing function, swallowing function, jaw joint functions, and facial muscle functions are among the vital functions in this area and are interconnected.

Any dysfunction in the mouth and facial area affects other areas.

For example, we swallow about 3000 times a day on average, and during each swallow, the tip of the tongue pushes the front part of the palate. This is how it should be. If there is a wrong swallow in individuals for any reason, meaning that the tongue pushes the upper teeth during swallowing, the upper front teeth protrude forward, resulting in a gummy smile, the upper jaw narrows, and when the upper jaw narrows, the nasal passages also narrow. Narrowing nasal passages lead the individual to mouth breathing, and mouth breathing causes many subsequent problems, especially in developing children.

Or, let's consider the opposite situation. If an individual breathes through the mouth due to any obstruction in the nasal passages, the mouth being open causes the tongue to position under the lower jaw, the upper jaw does not develop, there is narrowing, the upper front teeth move forward, the lower jaw can slide to the side when closing, affecting the temporomandibular joint.

The point is that dysfunction in this area affects neighboring organs.

It is possible to multiply such examples...

Myofunctional therapy activities are a therapy consisting of muscle exercises to increase the permanence of your orthodontic treatment and reduce your treatment time during your facial, jaw, and tooth development.

These exercises should be done every day for 30 minutes after using a 30-minute myofunctional appliance. Each activity lasts about 2 minutes. After the exercises are completed, myofunctional appliances are reinserted into the mouth.

It is important to do your activities every day for a good result. Remember that to be effective, you need to use activities and appliances in accordance with the rules.

You should wear your myofunctional appliance for 2 hours a day and full-time during your sleep at night.

Our goals in myofunctional appliance use:

To ensure good facial development

To contribute to the proper alignment of teeth

To prevent reoccurrence of dental problems

Expected benefits from myofunctional therapy appliance:

Expansion of the upper jaw

Strengthening of lip muscles

Growth of the smaller lower or upper jaw, depending on the source of the problem

Reduction of dental crowding

Ensuring correct positioning of the tongue during swallowing and at rest

Transition from mouth breathing to nasal breathing

Contribution to future orthodontic treatment being shorter and more permanent...

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