Knox Orofacial Myology

Knox Orofacial Myology Orofacial myofunctional therapy addresses the root cause of oral issues and improves oral function. Galesburg, Il and surrounding areas. Free 30- minute consult.

Oral rest posture and sleep habits.

06/02/2026

When someone swallows and the chin wrinkles, dimples, or tightens, it can be a sign that the facial muscles are helping with a job the tongue should be doing.

That chin muscle is called the mentalis.

When the tongue is not doing its job well during a swallow, the lips, cheeks, chin, jaw, and neck may start helping out.

That can show up as:

• chin dimpling
• lip tightening
• pursed lips
• jaw movement
• tongue pushing forward
• facial tension
• head or neck movement during swallowing

A swallow happens hundreds of times a day.

So if the pattern is off, the repetition matters.

This is one reason I pay attention to the whole face, not just the tongue. The body is smart. It will find a way to get the job done, even if that means using muscles that were not meant to take over.

Myofunctional therapy helps bring awareness to those patterns and works on retraining the tongue, lips, jaw, and facial muscles to function with better coordination.

It is not about judging the way someone swallows.

It is about understanding what the pattern is telling us.

Knox Orofacial Myology
Galesburg, Illinois
Serving Knox County and surrounding areas through in-person and virtual myofunctional therapy.

Questions? Send me a message.
hollib@knoxorofacialmyo.info

309-737-6837
www.knoxorofacialmyology.com

06/01/2026

Your tongue is not supposed to just hang out wherever it wants.

At rest, the tongue should ideally live up on the palate, with the lips closed and teeth slightly apart.

When the tongue rests low, forward, or between the teeth, it can affect swallowing, oral habits, dental alignment, facial muscle patterns, and sometimes breathing patterns.

This is not about perfection.

It is about awareness.

If you or your child cannot comfortably find or maintain proper tongue posture, that is information worth looking into.

Knox Orofacial Myology
Galesburg, Illinois
Serving Knox County and surrounding areas through in-person and virtual myofunctional therapy.

Questions? Send me a message or visit:
www.knoxorofacialmyology.com

I understand why parents wait.You do not want to overreact.You do not want to make a big deal out of something if it is ...
05/31/2026

I understand why parents wait.

You do not want to overreact.
You do not want to make a big deal out of something if it is “normal.”
You do not want another appointment, another referral, or one more thing added to your plate.

But some patterns are worth paying attention to.

If your child mouth breathes, snores, grinds, sleeps restless, struggles with lip seal, has orthodontic crowding, tongue thrust, messy chewing, or chronic congestion, here are a few questions I wish more parents were taught to ask:

Can my child breathe comfortably through their nose?
Are their lips closed at rest without strain?
Where does their tongue rest?
Do they sleep quietly?
Do they wake rested?
Do they grind their teeth?
Do they chew on both sides?
Do they swallow with extra facial movement?
Are allergies, tonsils, adenoids, or nasal obstruction part of the picture?
Is there enough room for the tongue?

These questions are not meant to scare you.

They are meant to give direction.

Because “wait and see” is not always wrong, but it should not be the only plan when patterns keep showing up.

Orofacial myofunctional therapy looks at how the tongue, lips, jaw, facial muscles, breathing, chewing, and swallowing are functioning together.

Sometimes the first step is not having all the answers.

Sometimes the first step is knowing what to ask.

If you are noticing patterns and want help knowing what questions to ask next, reach out.

Knox Orofacial Myology
Galesburg, Illinois
www.knoxorofacialmyology.com

hollib@knoxorofacialmyo.info

309-737-6837
DMs are welcome.

Teeth matter. Bite matters. Structure matters.But muscles matter too.Habits matter.Breathing matters.Tongue posture matt...
05/31/2026

Teeth matter. Bite matters. Structure matters.

But muscles matter too.
Habits matter.
Breathing matters.
Tongue posture matters.
Sleep matters.

If the functional side of the picture is missed, people can keep chasing symptoms without understanding why things keep returning.

That is why I care so much about the muscles, patterns, and compensations behind what you are seeing and feeling.

This is about more than pain. It is about function.
www.knoxorofacialmyo.info
hollib@knoxorofacialmyo.info

Kids do not usually say:“I cannot breathe well through my nose.”“My tongue does not know where to rest.”“My jaw feels ti...
05/29/2026

Kids do not usually say:

“I cannot breathe well through my nose.”
“My tongue does not know where to rest.”
“My jaw feels tired.”
“My sleep is not restful.”
“I am compensating when I swallow.”

They usually show us in other ways.

Mouth hanging open.
Chapped lips.
Dark circles under the eyes.
Restless sleep.
Grinding.
Snoring.
Messy eating.
Chewing on one side.
Forward head posture.
A tense chin when trying to close the lips.
Open-mouth chewing.
Tongue resting low or forward.

These signs do not mean you need to panic.

But they do mean it may be worth paying attention.

Orofacial myofunctional therapy looks at how the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks, jaw, and face are functioning and how those patterns may affect breathing, sleep, chewing, swallowing, oral habits, and dental development.

The body gives clues.

We just need to know what we are looking at.

Have you noticed your child’s mouth open often during sleep, screen time, or riding in the car? That may be worth a closer look.

Knox Orofacial Myology
Galesburg, Illinois
www.knoxorofacialmyology.com

hollib@knoxorofacialmyo.info

309-737-6837
You can DM me to reach out.

Many people with jaw tension also deal with:headachestemple pressurefacial fatigueneck tightnessshoulder tensionThat is ...
05/28/2026

Many people with jaw tension also deal with:

headaches
temple pressure
facial fatigue
neck tightness
shoulder tension

That is not random.

These systems are connected.
When one area is overworking, nearby muscles often join in.

This is another reason the conversation should be bigger than “Does your jaw click?”

The question is not just where it hurts. The question is what is driving it.
www.knoxorofacialmyology.com
hollib@knoxorofacialmyo.info

You shouldn’t have to wonder if what you’re doing is working.The goal is simple:Understand the processStay consistentSee...
05/27/2026

You shouldn’t have to wonder if what you’re doing is working.

The goal is simple:
Understand the process
Stay consistent
See change over time

No guessing. No overwhelm. Just direction.

I am not here to scare parents.But I am also not here to brush off patterns that keep showing up.Mouth breathing.Snoring...
05/26/2026

I am not here to scare parents.

But I am also not here to brush off patterns that keep showing up.

Mouth breathing.
Snoring.
Grinding.
Open-mouth posture.
Tongue thrust.
Messy chewing.
Jaw tension.
Orthodontic relapse.
Chronic clenching.
Restless sleep.

One sign by itself does not tell the whole story.

But when these patterns keep showing up, they are worth noticing.

Sometimes the airway needs evaluated.
Sometimes the tongue does not have enough room.
Sometimes allergies, tonsils, adenoids, or nasal obstruction are part of the picture.
Sometimes the muscles of the mouth and face have learned compensation patterns.
Sometimes multiple providers need to be involved.

This is not about fear.

It is about function.

And when we understand function, we can start asking better questions and making better decisions.

If you have been noticing signs but are not sure what they mean, that is exactly where a conversation can start.

Knox Orofacial Myology
Galesburg, Illinois
www.knoxorofacialmyology.com

hollib@knoxorofacialmyo.info

309-737-6837
DM me with questions.

Clenching gets blamed on stress all the time.And yes, stress can absolutely play a role.But before we stop there, I want...
05/25/2026

Clenching gets blamed on stress all the time.

And yes, stress can absolutely play a role.

But before we stop there, I want to know more.

Where does your tongue rest during the day?
Are your lips comfortably closed or are they working to stay together?
Can you breathe through your nose easily?
Are you waking up tired?
Do you grind at night?
Does your jaw feel better when you move it forward?
Do you have neck, shoulder, or facial tension?
Have your teeth shifted after braces?

Clenching can be the body’s way of trying to create stability. Sometimes it is connected to stress. Sometimes it is connected to airway, oral resting posture, jaw position, or muscle compensation.

That does not mean there is one simple answer.

It means we need to ask better questions.

At Knox Orofacial Myology, I look at the way the tongue, lips, jaw, breathing, and facial muscles are functioning together. The goal is not to chase symptoms. The goal is to understand the pattern underneath them.

If you clench, grind, or wake up with jaw tension, it may be worth looking at function, not just stress.

Knox Orofacial Myology
Galesburg, Illinois
www.knoxorofacialmyology.com

hollib@knoxorofacialmyo.info

309-737-6837
DMs are welcome.

Sleep issues were not always talked about the way they are now.Sometimes being tired was just being tired.Now I ask diff...
05/24/2026

Sleep issues were not always talked about the way they are now.
Sometimes being tired was just being tired.
Now I ask different questions.
Is the mouth open at night?
Is there snoring?
Is there dry mouth?
Is there grinding or clenching?
Are there morning headaches?
Is sleep restless?
Does the person wake up actually rested?
The mouth, tongue, jaw, airway, and sleep are connected.
For me, this is one reason my MARPE journey matters. It was not just about straight teeth. It was about breathing, tongue space, clenching, sleep, and function.
Myofunctional therapy does not replace medical care or sleep testing. But it can help us look at the function piece.
You should not wake up exhausted and call it normal. If this sounds familiar, it may be time to ask different questions.
DM me with questions or reach out at www.knoxorofacialmyology, hollib@knoxorofacilmyo.info, or 309-737-6837.

Address

Galesburg, IL
61401

Website

https://knoxorofacialmyology.com/, https://soundhealth.life/hollibrown, https://ww

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