Orofacial myofunctional disorders are simply issues with how the muscles in your face and mouth work. Because these muscles do a lot of heavy lifting in our daily lives, these disorders can end up affecting things like breastfeeding, chewing, swallowing, and speech. They can even impact jaw movement, how your face and teeth grow, your overall facial appearance, how well orthodontic treatment works and more.

Orofacial myofunctional therapy is essentially physical therapy, but just for your face, mouth, and tongue! It uses a series of simple, customized exercises to retrain your muscles and help them work the way they were designed to.

By practicing these exercises consistently, you can establish healthy new habits—like resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth, breathing comfortably through your nose, and swallowing correctly. It's all about building muscle memory to improve your overall health.

Yes, absolutely! Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea often happen because the muscles in the throat and tongue become too relaxed during sleep, causing them to collapse and block the airway.

Because myofunctional therapy acts like "fitness training" for your mouth and throat, it can be incredibly helpful. By strengthening these muscles and retraining your tongue to rest properly against the roof of your mouth, the therapy helps keep your airway open and stable at night. This can significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of snoring and improve mild to moderate sleep apnea, helping you (and your partner!) get a much deeper, more restful night's sleep.

A tongue tie (or ankyloglossia) happens when the small band of tissue under the tongue is too short, thick, or tight, which restricts the tongue's natural range of motion. Think of it like a tether keeping the tongue from moving as freely as it should, which can make things like speaking, chewing, swallowing, and even breathing a bit more challenging.

That is where therapy comes in! Whether you choose to have the tie released through a minor procedure or not, myofunctional therapy is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Therapy helps by:

• Before a release: Stretching and prepping the muscles so the procedure is easier and more effective.

• After a release: Teaching the tongue how to use its brand-new freedom! We do targeted exercises to prevent scarring, build strength, and establish healthy new habits for eating, speaking, and resting.

Yes, we love working with kids! We typically start therapy around age 4, as long as the child is able to follow simple directions, cooperate with the exercises, and stay engaged during our sessions to get the most out of therapy.

Every child is unique, but there are a few common "clues" that the muscles in their mouth and face might need a little extra support. You might want to consider a free assessment if you notice your child:

• Breathing through their mouth frequently, especially when they are watching TV, playing, or sleeping.

• Sleeping restlessly, snoring, or waking up gasping for air.

• Struggling with focus, attention, or behavior during the day due to poor, interrupted sleep.

• Wetting the bed past the age of 5.

• Resting with their mouth open or having a hard time keeping their lips together.

• Having trouble swallowing, being a very messy or picky eater, or pushing their tongue forward against their teeth when they swallow.

• Dealing with speech struggles, like a persistent lisp or trouble pronouncing certain sounds.

• Sucking their thumb or fingers past the age of 2 or 3.

If you are noticing a few of these signs, therapy can be a game-changer to help get everything back on track for their growth, sleep, and overall well-being!

Think of our free assessment as a relaxed, no-pressure chat! It is completely casual and usually takes about [15–20] minutes.

During our time together, we will:

• Talk about your goals: You’ll share what’s been going on, whether it's concerns about sleep, breathing, a tongue tie, or speech.

• Map out next steps: We will let you know if it makes sense to move forward with a comprehensive exam, and how we can best help you or your child thrive.

It's the perfect, risk-free way to get answers to your questions and see if we are a good fit for you!

Absolutely! In fact, it is very easy to do. Myofunctional therapy is not a "hands-on" treatment, so there is no need for us to meet in person to look at how you breathe or test your oral function.

Before your comprehensive exam, we will have you fill out some detailed paperwork and send over a few photos and videos. With all of that information ready to go, we can easily complete our full assessment and all of your future therapy sessions right from the comfort of your own home!

The comprehensive exam is where we dive deep and really get to the root of what's going on! This appointment is much more detailed than our initial assessment and is designed to create your exact roadmap to success.

During the exam, we will:

• Review your history: We’ll carefully look over the intake paperwork, photos, and videos you sent in ahead of time.

• Evaluate your function: We will assess your tongue posture, swallowing patterns, chewing habits, lip strength, and how you breathe.

• Measure your range of motion: We’ll take a close look at how well your tongue and jaw move to check for restrictions like a tongue tie.

• Build your custom plan: Based on everything we see, we will map out a personalized exercise program tailored specifically to your goals.

Following the exam, I will send you a detailed report summarizing our findings and outlining exactly how we will work together to reach your goals.

Nope! You do not need a referral to get started. Because myofunctional therapy is non-invasive muscle retraining, you are welcome to reach out and schedule your free assessment whenever you're ready.

Getting started is super easy! Your very first step is to schedule your free assessment directly through our website.

Once you pick a time that works for you, keep an eye on your inbox! You will receive a confirmation email with:

• Your paperwork: Simple forms to fill out about your goals and history at least 24 hours prior to our appointment.

• Your meeting link: A Google Meet link so you'll know exactly where we are hanging out online for our chat.

Think of a frenectomy like any other minor surgery—you wouldn't run a marathon right after knee surgery without doing some prep work first. For the best results, therapy is divided into two vital phases:

• Before the procedure (Pre-op): We like to start therapy about 6 to 8 weeks before your release. This gives us time to stretch and condition the tongue muscles, strengthen the surrounding tissues, and get you comfortable with the movements. Pre-op therapy makes the procedure itself easier and significantly reduces the risk of the tissue reattaching (scarring down) afterward.

• After the procedure (Post-op): We jump right back into therapy just a few days after your release. This phase is all about guiding the healing process, managing scar tissue, and teaching your tongue how to use its brand-new range of motion to build lasting, healthy habits.

Starting therapy first ensures that your investment in the procedure pays off completely and gives you the best possible outcome!

While every mouth is unique, a typical myofunctional therapy program lasts anywhere from 6 to 12 months. Because it takes time to break lifelong habits and build permanent muscle memory, we move through the process in structured, customized phases.

Here is what you can expect:

• The Sessions: Depending on where you are in your therapy journey and what your specific goals are, we will meet anywhere from every 1 to 4 weeks.

• The Daily Practice: The real magic happens between our appointments! You (or your child) will practice short, targeted exercises at home for about 5 to 10 minutes a day.

Think of it like fitness training—consistency is the secret ingredient! By showing up for your quick daily exercises, you'll see amazing progress and build positive habits that last a lifetime.

To learn about our services click here.

Online appointments are quick and efficient, usually taking between 15 to 30 minutes. We know your time is valuable, so we keep our sessions focused, effective, and easy to fit into your busy day!

Because every face and mouth is completely unique, the cost of therapy depends entirely on your specific needs and goals. We offer several different treatment paths, and we will provide you with a clear, personalized recommendation and a full breakdown of costs right after your comprehensive exam.

To help make care as accessible as possible, we happily offer:

• Flexible payment plans to help break the cost down into manageable monthly steps.

• A discount if you choose to pay for your program in full upfront.

• Family discounts if more than one family member is jumping into therapy.

We are a "fee-for-service" practice, which means we do not directly bill insurance companies or accept direct insurance payments. However, we want to help you maximize your benefits as much as possible!

Here is how we can help you navigate the process:

• Superbills: We are more than happy to provide you with a detailed "superbill" (an itemized receipt with all the necessary medical codes) that you can submit directly to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.

• HSA & FSA Accounts: Many of our clients successfully use their Health Savings Accounts (HSA) or Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) to pay for their therapy sessions.

To ensure you get the absolute best results, we specialize in full rehabilitation programs rather than pay-per-session appointments. Because it takes time to retrain muscles and break old habits, single sessions simply don't allow us to create the lasting improvements you are looking for.

To give you the most thorough care possible, our programs start at a minimum of 12 sessions. This gives us the time needed to fully address every phase of your rehabilitation.