Myofunctional Therapy
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Myofunctional therapy for children, also known as pediatric muscle training, is one of the ways our dentist can help your child improve their sleep and overall health through a series of simple and painless exercises tailored to their specific needs.
These exercises promote healthy oral and skeletal growth, helping your child avoid future dental and orofacial problems and addressing the underlying cause of many sleep breathing disorders.
Because many of the sleep breathing disorders are caused by airway blockages during sleep, myofunctional therapy can help address pediatric sleep apnea and airway obstruction by helping the airway develop properly and strengthening the tongue and jaw.
This type of muscle training also has a number of beneficial side effects for your child and can help prevent:
How Myofunctional Therapy Works
The oropharynx, comprising the mouth and throat, is lined with muscular tissues crucial for essential functions like eating, talking and breathing. These muscles also play a vital role in maintaining an open airway, particularly during sleep. Weakness in the oropharyngeal muscles can disrupt airflow, leading to snoring, and even cause airway collapse, as seen in sleep apnea. A weak tongue can also obstruct the throat. Myofunctional therapy targets and strengthens these muscles and emphasizes proper tongue posture within the mouth. This has the added benefit of preventing unwanted tooth movement caused by tongue pressure.
As a non-invasive, cost-effective and low-risk alternative to other sleep apnea treatments, myofunctional therapy in Arvada, Colorado, is an excellent option for children ages 6 and older, and even for many adults. To schedule your child’s exam and consult with Dr. Jeffrey T. Lodl, call Arvada West Dental Care at (303) 424-0767 today and get started.