Treating underlying causes early
Orthodontic problems such as teeth crowding, too much space between the teeth, improper jaw growth, protruding teeth, and misaligned bites can be inherited or caused by early or late loss of baby teeth or thumb-sucking habits. Many of these issues present themselves at a very young age.
At Warsaw Orthodontics, we may recommend orofacial myofunctional therapy for your child in conjunction with their regular braces or orthodontic treatment. However, it is not needed for everyone.
What is myofunctional therapy?
Orofacial myofunctional therapy is a type of therapy that addresses dysfunctional muscle patterns and postures of the oral and facial muscles.
The goal of myofunctional therapy is to teach patients how to correctly breathe, chew, and swallow. If left untreated, incorrect oral postures and/or improper function of the muscles can cause serious dental problems. These issues can also cause orthodontic treatment relapse, which means your previous orthodontic treatment could reverse and your smile could go back to the way it looked before.
Symptoms of myofunctional disorders
There are many different symptoms associated with myofunctional disorders. These are some of the symptoms we look for in our patients:
- Crooked teeth or orthodontic relapse
- Open mouth posture and/or mouth breathing
- Tongue thrust
- Snoring/sleep disordered breathing (SDB)
- Tongue tie
- Habits such as thumb or finger sucking, nail, lip, or cheek biting
- Forward head posture
- Headaches
- Drooling
- Difficulties with speech
- Gum disease
- Psychological and/or attention problems
- Loud or messy eating
- Digestive issues or upset stomach
- Middle ear drainage issues
Lorraine Frey, orofacial myologist
Lorraine Frey works with Dr. Watson to provide the best myofunctional therapy for our patients. Lorraine Frey is a Board Certified Orofacial Myologist, providing orofacial myofunctional therapy services to children of all ages and adults. Her extensive background in the dental field as a registered and licensed dental hygienist has encompassed over 30 years of clinical practice in periodontal, general, and pediatric private practice settings.
Lorraine’s professional experience, dedication to promoting preventive and early interventional based methodologies, and passion for helping others achieve optimal growth and health, combine to provide her clients with the utmost in supportive and compassionate care.
Warsaw Orthodontics is one of the few practices in the area providing myofunctional therapy for patients. We’ve seen the results and we know that, for many patients, orofacial myofunctional therapy can have a dramatic influence on their growth and development and their overall health.