05/01/2026
An open bite is one of those things that gets classified as a cosmetic issue and treated as one, which means a lot of people go through orthodontic treatment, watch their teeth shift back, go through orthodontic treatment again, and never get an answer for why it keeps happening.
The answer is almost always functional. The tongue is pushing forward on every swallow. The mouth is open at rest, and the tongue is sitting low instead of lifted to the palate. The same forces that created the open bite in the first place are still fully active the day the braces come off.
Myofunctional therapy does not move teeth. What it does is change the muscle patterns that move teeth, so that orthodontic work can hold and the bite can stay where it was corrected.
If you or your child has an open bite, a history of relapse after orthodontic treatment, or a dentist or orthodontist who keeps mentioning tongue thrust, this is a conversation worth having.
Link in our bio to learn more or book an evaluation.