Myofunctional Therapy
Contents Myofunctional Therapy –putting first things first
1
The goals of Myofunctional Therapy:
2
What causes a Myofunctional disorder
3
Anatomy of the mouth
4
Forces of the tongue
5
What does Myofunctional Therapy involve?
6
Myofunctional Therapy FAQs
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Myofunctional Therapy Exercises:
- Exercises that promote palatal tongue rest position
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- Tongue Exercises
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- Lip Exercises
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- Sound Exercises
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Workbook table
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Wordfind
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Notes
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MouthMatters™ Myofunctional Therapy www.mouthmatters.co.nz © Waghorn Publishing, 2014 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under New Zealand and International Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
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Myofunctional Therapy - putting first things first Your orthodontist, dentist or school dental nurse may have told you that you, or your child, has a Myofunctional disorder. Like most people, you have probably never heard of this before and are not sure what it means.
Patterns that have been created by inappropriate muscle function and habits involving the tongue, lips, jaws and face need to be treated.
Not only can thumb-sucking and pacifiers (dummies) change the shape of mouths, but one of the most common problems seen is the tonguethrust swallow. Very few people are aware that a tongue-thrust swallow can be just as damaging to the teeth and jaws. Commonly this swallow is present following thumb sucking or pacifier use, which if not corrected, will cause similar effects as the original thumb or pacifier problem.
Mouth posture is taken seriously because if these muscles are out of balance, the teeth, jaws and face will be affected. Correcting or improving the resting tongue or lip relationships can be beneficial in aiding the development of normal
Another common problem is patients that breathe through their mouths. When they do this their tongue is in an incorrect position and the result is an underdeveloped jaw. This means that they will most likely have crowded teeth and bite issues.
Improving mouth posture to improve dental health. Myofunctional therapy is the treatment to improve how the muscles of the face function, or what is called “mouth posture”.
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facial growth patterns and tooth alignment.
The goals of Myofunctional Therapy Only the dedication and co-operation of the patient can change swallowing and resting posture habits. 1
To promote a closed lip posture.
2
To promote teeth together posture.
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To promote a palatal tongue rest position.
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To establish nasal breathing.
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To eliminate thumb, finger, object and tongue sucking habits.
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To correct dysfunctional habit patterns.
Things to remember: • Lips together • Tongue in the roof of the mouth
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What causes a Myofunctional disorder? It is often difficult to point to one particular source as the sole cause of a Myofunctional Disorder. In some cases, it is a result of a combination of factors. Myofunctional disorders may result from one or more of the following problems:
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Oral habits such as thumb or finger sucking, cheek or nail biting, teeth clenching or grinding.
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Habitual open mouth (lips apart) resting posture, which may be induced by chronic nasal airway problems such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids, chronic allergies and asthma.
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Structural or physiological abnormalities such as a short lingual frenum (tongue tied).
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Developmental abnormalities such as Down Syndrome or Cerebral Palsy.
Anatomy of the mouth
THE
SPOT UPPER TEETH
SOFT PALATE
HARD PALATE
THE TONGUE LOWER TEETH
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4
Forces of the tongue
What does Myofunctional Therapy involve? UP TO
300 GRAMS
THE FORCE THAT THE LIPS CAN EXERT
Myofunctional Therapy consists of a number of exercises or activities given to the patient to practise at home. They are all easy to do and can actually be a lot of fun. The patient will be seen regularly to monitor progress. Parental involvement and encouragement is essential with children of all ages. Only the dedication and co-operation of the patient can change swallowing and resting postural habits.
1.7
GRAMS
UP TO
500 GRAMS
THE FORCE REQUIRED TO MOVE AN ANTERIOR TOOTH To understand Myofunctional disorders we need to know something about the forces that cause it. The most important of these forces is the tongue. Although it is soft and supple, the tongue is one of the strongest muscles in the body and can
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THE FORCE THAT A TONGUE CAN EXERT move teeth over time. When the tongue is not being used it should sit in the roof of the mouth, and should be there when breathing or swallowing. If it sits or moves incorrectly it will exert unwanted pressure on the teeth.
Myofunctional Therapy FAQs At what age should therapy begin? The age of the patient is not as important as his or her motivation to succeed. Children as young as four years old can benefit from a diagnostic session to determine if they can be helped with Myofunctional Therapy. Children of 7 years of age are often mature enough to receive complete training. Children, teenagers and adults of all ages are capable of success with treatment.
Is treatment effective? Many recent scientific studies have shown that treatment for Myofunctional disorders can be 80 to 90% effective. It must be noted that successful completion of a Myofunctional Therapy programme is dependent upon patient desire, consistency of practise, a positive attitude and self discipline. 6
Myofunctional Therapy exercises Exercises that promote palatal tongue rest position: 3 SEC
THE
SPOT
OPEN SLIGHTLY
Tongue exercises 3 SEC EA.
• Point tongue forward and out in a V shape hold for 3 seconds. • Point to the left and hold for 3 seconds. • Point to the right and hold for 3 seconds . • Place the tip of the tongue on ‘the spot’ and hold for 3 seconds. • Trace the tip of tongue all the way to the back and then back to ‘the spot’.
Waggle spot Waggle the tongue from side to side rapidly. Do not move the chin. Repeat for about 3 seconds. Quickly and accurately find ‘the spot’ with the tip of the tongue. • Repeat 10 times.
• • • •
X10
Tongue trace • Place the tip of the tongue on ‘the spot’ • Open your mouth slightly. • Trace the tip of the tongue from ‘the spot’ back across the top of the mouth all the way back and then forward again stopping at the spot. • Repeat 5 times slowly.
10 SEC
SWALLOW
X5
X3
THE
SPOT
Tongue point & trace
Tongue up stretch
SWALLOW
Tongue up stretch & swallow • Place the tip of the tongue on ‘the spot’ and the middle of the tongue against the top of the mouth. • Stretch open for 10 seconds. • Bite, lips pulled back in a grin. • Swallow. • Repeat 5 times.
Tongue pops & swallow • Do 3 tongue pops. • Hold the tongue pop, bite, lips pulled back. • Swallow still holding the tongue pop. • Repeat 5 times.
• Place the tip of the tongue on ‘the spot’. • Stretch open, forming a V shape for 10 seconds. • Repeat 5 times.
X5
Tongue blade push
X5
10 SEC
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X5
• Place the blade on your V shaped tongue. • Pull tongue back in behind the teeth. • Lift the tongue slightly. • Push down with the blade while trying to resist with the tongue. • Hold for a count of 10 seconds. • Repeat 5 times.
X5
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Exercises to help promote lip seal: 5SEC
Lip smacks & lip press
Bread tag • Place bread tag between the lips. • Close lips gently holding bread tag in place. • Start time of 5 minutes add 1 minute to your time daily until you reach 30 minutes max. • An ideal time to do this exercise is while watching TV, Reading or on the computer.
• Pull the lips under the teeth. • Press the lips together for a count of 5 seconds. • Release the lips with a ‘smacking’ sound. • Alternate the press and smack sound 5 times.
X5
5MIN+
Lip cheek trace
Straw and paper • Place the straw between the lips. • Create a suction and pick up the paper. • Hold for a count of 10 seconds. • Repeat 5 times.
• Place the tongue under the upper lip and begin a circle trace from the upper lip, into the cheek, into the lower lip, into the other cheek and then back into the upper lip • Keep the jaw and lips centred. RIGHT LEFT • Do 3 slow circles to the right. • Do 3 slow circles to the left. X3 X3
X5
10SEC
HOLD
Lip massage • Pull the upper lip down over the upper teeth - do not let it change position during the whole exercise. • Bring the lower lip over the upper lip as far as possible. • Press and roll the lower lip down and back under the upper lip. • Repeat 10 times.
“EE”
“OU”
Button tugs • Place the button in front of your teeth and behind your lips. • Tighten your lips around the button. • Hold the string and pull the string straight ahead. • Pull fast and pop the button from your lips. • Repeat 10 times.
X10
E - OU - AH
X10
Paper plate hold
• Bite teeth, pull lips back, say the sound: “EEEEEEEE” • Still biting, pull the lips forward into a tight circle, say the sound: “OUUU” • Open wide, say the sound: “AHHHHHH” • Repeat 5 times.
• Pull the lips back over the teeth. • Insert the paper plate between the lips , the pink part of your lips should not be visible. • Hold for a count of 10 seconds. • Repeat 5 times.
X5
X5
10SEC 9
10
Pull the lips back between the teeth equally, press, and explode the sound. Repeat 5x: P - P - POP B - B - BOB M - M - MUM B - B - BABY M - M - MAMA
Ch-J sounds Bite the teeth together, push the sides of the tongue against the sides of the top of the mouth and the tip across the ridge, and release the tongue as you explode the sound. CHO - CHO - CHO JA - JA - JA JACK - JACK - JACK
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Morning Night Morning Morning
Sunday
Night
Repeat 5x: CHA - CHA - CHA CHU - CHU - CHU JOE - JOE - JOE
Night
P-B-M sounds
Morning
CA - CA - CAKE
Night
K - K - KICK
Morning
Repeat 5x: G - G - GO
Night
G-K-S sounds
Friday
DA - DA - Dadder NA - NA - Natter
Thursday
Repeat 3x each: TA - TA - Tatter LA - LA - Ladder
NA
Wednesday
LA
Tuesday
DA
Monday
Repeat 6x each: TA
Night
Tip of the tongue to ‘the spot’, push and let the sound bounce off.
Morning
T-D-L-N sounds
Morning
Saturday
Night
Sound exercises
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Night Morning Morning
Night
Morning
Night
Morning
Night
Morning
Night
Morning
Night
Morning
Night
Saturday Friday Thursday Wednesday Tuesday Monday Sunday 13
Wordfind D
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Notes
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