MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPY: WHAT IS IT

Myofunctional therapy is a service that comes from the branch of speech therapy. However, on some occasions, it usually involves other branches of medicine such as stomatology, orthodontics, pediatrics, maxillofacial surgeons, speech therapists, otolaryngologists, and physiotherapists.

One of its greatest advantages is that it can be developed actively or passively, that is, it may or may not need the active intervention of the patient, adapting to both the needs and the current situation of each person.

It is usually directed, especially, for those people who are suffering from a dental malformation of type I, type II-I and type III.

Want to know more about myofunctional therapy? Read.

What Is Known As Myofunctional Therapy?

It is a set of methods or systems of re-education of orofacial or respiratory habits that trigger or aggravate dental and orofacial malocclusions. Its objective is to optimize the orofacial functioning of the person.

How? Designing an individualized intervention plan for each particular case, which will consist of the execution of certain exercises, the suppression of habits and the awareness of the new patterns acquired.

However, in some situations, orthodontic implementation will be required to solve those occlusion problems that have been caused due to the erroneous performance of the orofacial system.

What Is Known As The Orofacial System?

This system is usually formed by a specific group of muscular organs and osteological bases responsible for the basic functionalities of the organism and lingual movements.

However, for each of them to function well, communication with the processing center must be developed optimally.

When this communicative flow fails, the medical histories of patients with swallowing problems, difficulties pronouncing certain words or even cerebral palsy arise.

What Methods Are Carried Out In Myofunctional Therapy?

The focus of this discipline is on the manual manipulation of the affected areas through combined exercises and the implementation of certain breathing habits that can be performed with or without specific materials.

In the case of the little ones, they will be explained and adapted as if it were a game. In this way, it will be much more interesting and dynamic for them. Among the most frequent methods are:

• 
  Lingual method

This method focuses on creating slight lingual movements such as inserting, pulling it out, arching it or caressing the lips, according to the sequence determined by the professional.

• 
  Lip exercises

They usually focus on basic and habitual slight lip movements such as laughing, kissing or holding small things such as pencils, sticks or any other object. The objective is to achieve greater lip strength.

• 
  Mandibular exercises

The person should perform certain jaw movements such as moving it outwards, downwards and sideways, until all possible displacements or openings are included.

• 
  Mental exercises

With the mental games you will perform the action of matching the equal pieces, helping to improve your cognitive and receptive process.

• 
  Use of mouth respirators

These oral appliances focus on controlling the proportion of air that usually enters through the oral cavity or nose, in order to help the person breathe correctly without any interruption.

The estimated time of these treatments will depend on the diagnosis issued by the professional in charge of the case, the current situation in which the person is and their degree of affection.

What Problems Does Myofunctional Therapy Treat?

Myofunctional therapy can treat problems such as:

• Orofacial reorganization.
• Alterations in suction in neonates.
• Alterations in speech.
• Inconveniences in chewing.
• Difficulties in food intake.
• Mouth breathing disorder.
• Correction of bad oral habits.
• Alterations in facial expressiveness.
• Alterations in the t-emporomandibular joint.
• Degenerative disorder or neurological origin.

What Types Of Habits Require This Therapy?

Although it may not seem like it, there are certain inappropriate habits that people usually perform constantly for a long time in their childhood, and that will require the use of this therapy.

Therefore, it is important to pay close attention to the behavior of the smallest of the house, especially during their first months or years. It should be noted that most malocclusion problems tend to originate at these ages.

The following habits require myofunctional therapy:

• Thumb sucking

This common and consecutive habit causes deformations in the palate, which can cause the teeth to erupt incorrectly because their dental development has not completely culminated.

• Use of the pacifier

Misuse of the pacifier over time also tends to cause tooth deformations due to continuous sucking and lip movement. It can also cause ogival palate problems, crossbite or open bite.

• Pushing your teeth

The involuntary habit of biting the lips tends to cause a constant dental push, which causes the teeth to erupt incorrectly, affecting not only their position, but their size.

• Bruxism

This pathology usually appears because of stress or anxiety. In addition, it tends to occur voluntarily or involuntarily at night.

• Nail biting

This bad habit not only affects the dental position, but can also stop or even alter the development of mandibular compositions during their evolution.

Ruiz De Gopegui Dental Clinic: We Have The Most Avant-Garde Techniques For Your Oral Health

The Ruiz de Gopegui Dental Clinic is a dental clinic in constant training where you will have at your disposal a team of experts specialized in the multiple areas of dentistry, such as maxillofacial surgeons, pediatric dentists, implantologists, among others.

Each of them will be responsible for solving any pathology and / or oral condition through treatments, methods and / or techniques that best suit your needs, tastes and oral gravity, with avant-garde techniques.

If you want to know more about our myofunctional therapy service, do not hesitate to visit us or request your first free appointment at the Dental Clinic in Madrid. Contact us.