Facial Function Myofunctional Therapy

04/05/2023

Restorative Sleep is so important!
Here’s another interesting article - Impaired glymphatic drainage underlying obstructive sleep apnea is associated with cognitive dysfunction:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent but easily undiagnosed and is an independent risk factor for cognitive impairment. However, it remains unclear how OSA is linked to cognitive impairment. In the present study, we found the correlation between morphological changes of perivascular spa...

02/24/2023

Sleep concerns are often undetected. Great article about the importance of seeing the signs.

Early detection of POSA and SDB by dentists and a multidisciplinary team can improve oral structure development in pediatric and adolescent patients, but unfortunately it often goes undetected.

02/24/2023

Dental hygienists are in a perfect position to educate parents of infants and toddlers about their child's proper jaw development.

02/08/2023

01/27/2023

Mouth breathing directly affects our oral health by causing the drying of oral structures and the decrease of saliva production.

12/07/2022

During the holiday season and throughout the year it is important to me to reflect on what I am grateful for.

Today I am reminded, as I work with this adorable 4 year old, what a blessing it is to have the opportunity to help children and adults become healthy nasal breathers at Facial Function, Myofunctional Therapy.

So blessed and grateful!🤶

11/26/2022

Traumatic deep bites

A traumatic deep bite refers to when the upper front teeth completely vertically overlap the lower front teeth.

The lower front teeth impinge on the gum, and the lower jaw becomes trapped, preventing normal forward translation of the lower jaw during growth and development.

Traumatic deep bites are often associated with low posture of the base of the tongue.

Rather than resting lightly suctioned to the roof of the mouth, the back of the tongue rests low, spilling over the edges of the top and bottom back teeth. The space between the upper and lower back teeth in the second image approximates where the sides of the back of the tongue would occupy for a significant part of the day including night-time.

This tongue posture is also called a “lateral tongue thrust.” It may be associated with sloppy speech sounds in children, and increased risk of disturbed breathing during sleep.

Traumatic deep bites that persist in adulthood are linked to increased risk of jaw joint and muscle pain and dysfunction including some headaches.

Addressing deep bites during early childhood will often include tongue-strengthening exercises and ruling out posterior tongue ties that restrict normal elevation of the tongue to allow more optimal resting tongue posture.

Addressing constricted palates and tongue space is often another important piece of the puzzle. In this 3-year-old who presented with speech and sleep concerns, the lack of spacing between the baby teeth is a very strong red flag of constricted tongue space and severe dental crowding when the permanent teeth come through. Palate expansion will be a helpful intervention to promote both proper form and function.

11/05/2022

Sharing my passion with the dental team at Stellar Outcomes! Thank you so much for all of the positive feedback.

Sometimes the answers are so simple.
myo thanks for helping my baby breathe💯 and joining the for a sneak peak of myofunctional therapy 👀👌

And how bout that guest 🌟
So proud of you Vio💜. You're one bravely brilliant lass😍

In case you missed it:
Breathing through your nose cleans and humidifies air and prepares it for cells to uptake.
Sleep, headaches, and allergies don't always need surgery and medicine. Rather a few good habits can go a long way📣💯

Thanks for making this possible . You rock 🎫🎫🎫

09/19/2022

Tyley Ross is a Grammy nominated recording artist, the co-founder of the Universal Records recording act The East Village Opera Company, and a Dora Award win...

09/17/2022

🗣 Myofunctional therapy is not a NEW concept!
Orofacial Myofunctional therapy has been discussed as early as the 1800s with Dr. Edward Angle 🦷
He recognized the influence of mouth breathing on the resting posture and how it affected orthodontic treatment.

Following him , Dr. Alfred Rogers developed exercises to improve muscle function and tone.

07/22/2022

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a clinical disorder within the spectrum of sleep-related breathing disorders (SRDB) which is used to describe abnormal breathing during sleep resulting in gas exchange abnormalities and/or sleep disruption. OSA is a highly prevalent disorder with associated sequelae....

07/14/2022

Great info!

Are you accessing your full breathing capabilities?

Your nasal sinuses, when functioning correctly, send a rich source of a tiny molecule called nitric oxide through the body.

There is a link between low NO levels and many diseases, Including:

- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Digestive tract issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Alzheimer’s dementia

In humans, nitric oxide (NO) is also generated within the blood vessels and regulates blood pressure, and prevents the formation of clots and also destroys potential toxins.⠀

Proper ventilation is essential for maintenance of sinus integrity, and blockage of the ostium blocks the flow to the sinuses.⠀
⠀
Humming has been applied therapeutically for the treatment of chronic sinusitis. A case study of a patient who had been unable to nose breathe due to chronic sinusitis for a month was able to achieve a clear nose and breathe easily through his nose after 4 days of intensive humming (one hour the first day and 120 hums 4x per day). ⠀
⠀
The authors hypothesized that the effect was due to the increase in nitric oxide produced by the humming.⠀
⠀
A small 10 person study looked at nasal NO was measured during humming and quiet single-breath exhalations at a fixed flow rate. NO increased 15-fold during humming compared with quiet exhalation.⠀
⠀
Humming exercises have been used in yoga for many thousands of years. To really experience the vibration of humming through the sinuses you can try this bee breath exercise while blocking the ears.
⠀
1. Sit up straight in a quiet, well ventilated corner with your eyes closed. Keep a gentle smile on your face⠀
2. Place your index fingers on your ears. There is a cartilage between your cheek and ear. Place your index fingers on the cartilage⠀
3. Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out, gently press the cartilage. You can keep the cartilage pressed or press it in and out with your fingers, while making a loud humming sound like a bee⠀
4. You can also make a low-pitched sound but it is a good idea to make a high-pitched one for better results⠀
5. Breathe in again and continue the same pattern 3-4 times.⠀
⠀
How did this exercise feel for you?

07/14/2022

Important to know if you have OSA, it impacts your health in many ways.

This meta-analysis indicated that there was a high prevalence of OSA in cancer patients, and individuals with OSA were more likely to develop tumors, and the incidence was related to the severity of OSA.

07/01/2022

Read that again 👃

What does this mean ?!?!

➡️ narrow palate can effect your ability to breathe through your nose optimally

➡️ narrow palate -> low tongue posture

➡️ low tongue posture ->mouth breathing during critical growth periods -> maldevelopment of the jaw -> increase in the mandible plane angle (longer face), a higher palatal plane (affects upper airways), and narrowing of both upper and lower arches->malocclusion ->sleep disordered breathing

There are several influences which can effect facial growth and development

One of the most common one in children is caused by a compromised airway - The inability to breathe properly through the nose.

06/18/2022

Great study on lingual frenectomies paired with Myofunctional exercises.

“After tongue-tie releases paired with exercises, most children experience functional improvements in speech, feeding, and sleep. Providers should screen for oral restrictions in children and refer for treatment when functions are impaired.”

Baxter, R., Merkel-Walsh, R., Baxter, B. S., Lashley, A., & Rendell, N. R. (2020). Functional Improvements of Speech, Feeding, and Sleep After Lingual Frenectomy Tongue-Tie Release: A Prospective Cohort Study. Clinical pediatrics, 59(9-10), 885–892. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922820928055

06/03/2022

Turbinate hypertrophy is caused when the mucosa becomes enlarged or swollen. This can be acute or chronic.

Commonly caused by :

Hormonal changes
Medications
Allergies
Environmental irritants
Sinus infections
Upper respiratory infection

Treatment options depend on the cause and is case by case….
It can vary from medication use to surgery.

Discuss your symptoms with an 👃