Orthodontics & Myofunctional Therapy
When it comes to braces, Orthodontists look at much more than just the position of your teeth. There are many factors that influence how straight our teeth come in and even the ability and effort it takes to straighten the teeth.
The Tongue
The tongue plays an important role in the development of your mouth and jaw, as well as shaping and guiding the position of your teeth. It is actually considered the natural expander for our jaw. When our tongue is resting high in the mouth, it provides an internal support for the upper jaw and teeth. When someone has a tongue thrust, tongue tie or a mouth breathing habit, the tongue will be resting at the bottom of the mouth, leaving no support for the developing jaw and teeth. At the same time, the tongue is constantly resting against the front teeth, and every time we swallow, the tongue will push forward or to the sides. This is what we call a tongue thrust. The constant pressure of the tongue against or between the teeth will not allow the teeth to bite together, often resulting in an open bite.
The lack of internal support, combined with the force of the tongue on the teeth can cause the teeth to move and alter the proper growth and development of the jaw. This can make it more difficult for your orthodontist to move teeth, close spaces, and can increase your risk of orthodontic relapse after braces are removed.
As an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist, we work with Orthodontists to help eliminate habits that have attributed to the malocclusion (misalignment of the teeth) so that orthodontic treatment can be more efficient and long lasting.
A tongue thrust and mouth breathing habit can:
⇢ Make treatment generally more difficult for the orthodontist, because spaces are harder to close and teeth are more difficult to align from the forces of the tongue.
⇢ Slow down your orthodontic treatment, meaning that braces need to be worn for a longer period of time.
⇢ Increase the risk that your teeth move again after the braces are removed (relapse), which can lead to needing braces multiple times.
Orthodontics, Appliances and Myofunctional Therapy
When a tongue thrust is present, Orthodontists will acknowledge it as challenge to overcome when straightening the teeth and closing spaces. There are a number of oral appliances designed to control the tongue thrust during treatment, but most of these appliances are designed to block the habit, not retrain it. When the appliance is removed, the habit resumes and the risk for orthodontic relapse increases.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is the best form of treatment to treat a tongue-thrust permanently, without the use of appliances. Progressive exercises work to retrain the oral and facial muscles to gain control over your tongue and eliminate the tongue-thrust habit. This form of treatment is successful for children and adults.
The ideal time to start a therapy program is before the braces are put on. However, myofunctional therapy can significantly improve the results of orthodontic treatment at any time, even when the braces are on the teeth.
Contact me today to discuss how Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help before or during orthodontic treatment to eliminate habits, improve results of braces and decrease your chances of orthodontic relapse.