Frequently Asked Questions
What is myofunctional therapy, and what does treatment look like?
Myofunctional therapy retrains the tongue & oral facial muscles for proper functioning to benefit the whole body. We focus on correcting the oral resting posture, maintaining a gentle lip seal, nasal breathing all day & night, and correcting swallow patterns.
There are many benefits that come with these main goals, such as optimizing airways, digestion, sleep, pain relief, and development.
My therapy programs can be completely virtual, from assessment to continuing treatment. We start by mailing an assessment kit, and I will ask for photos & videos to be taken & an intake form diving into health & dental history. Next, we can do a comprehensive evaluation & review the findings. At this point, I will recommend a treatment plan & make referrals to other providers if needed (such as tongue tie release provider, body work, airway orthodontics, etc). Then, we can get started on your therapy program!
Typically, they are 6-12 months, depending on your case. We meet every 2 weeks on zoom to review your current exercise progress, & go through new exercises that will help your myofunctional disorders.
Is this covered under my insurance plan?
Each insurance plan differs, so it is recommended to check if there is coverage for myofunctional therapy per plan policy. I can provide you with the procedure codes for you to ask your insurance provider if this service is covered. If your plan does not cover myofunctional therapy, you can keep your receipts to claim on your income tax.
Alternatively, you can ask your insurance provider if you have access to a healthcare spending account. You may need to check if myofunctional therapy is covered under your healthcare spending account.
I will provide you with a receipt that you can submit to your insurance to be reimbursed for your treatment.
Who can be treated?
Ideally, we start by making sure there is enough room in the palate for the tongue to suction on the room of the mouth. If there isn’t, we may wait until palate expansion can be done to schedule a tongue tie release or start myofunctional therapy. Besides palatal space, we want to make sure you are motivated to practice 2x/day to be successful with your program!
We can start as early as 4-5 years old! Since therapy is virtual, as long as the child is able to carry out the zoom appointment & practice regularly, they can make a great candidate for myo!
What does myofunctional therapy help people with?
Myo goals are focused on correcting the oral resting posture, maintaining a gentle lip seal, nasal breathing all day & night, and correcting swallow patterns. These are important because they support proper functioning for the whole body.
A few examples are optimizing airways, clenching & grinding/headache & migraine relief, improving sleep quality, decreasing neck & shoulder tension, aid with speech, digestion, ear problems/infections, decreasing dental work needed, & optimize healthy development.
Why is nose breathing/airway health so important?
Nose breathing is so important because it filters & warms air, supports restorative sleep, maintains saliva, encourages optimal jaw & facial development, produces nitric oxide, increases stamina & endurance. If our airways are not optimal, obstructions can prevent these ideal functions from happening - by mouth breathing or from limited airway space. This can lead to anxiety, irritability, poor sleep, ADHD symptoms, and much more.