What is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy (also called orofacial myofunctional therapy) is a structured, exercise-based approach that retrains the tongue, lips, cheeks, and facial muscles to function in a healthier, more coordinated way. It blends gentle muscle training with habit awareness, teaching patients how to maintain proper tongue posture, establish a comfortable lip seal, and breathe efficiently through the nose.
Because many of these functions develop early in life, seeing a myofunctional therapist is especially valuable for children whose facial structures and breathing patterns are still forming. In airway-focused orthodontics, it acts as a foundational support, helping create the conditions needed for balanced growth and stable treatment results.
At its core, myofunctional therapy works by addressing the everyday muscle patterns that influence how the jaws grow, how the airway is supported, and how a child breathes and swallows. When these patterns are imbalanced, the body often adapts in ways that can affect facial development, oral comfort, and overall well-being. By guiding patients toward healthier muscle coordination, the therapy helps build stronger functional habits that support long-term airway health and align naturally with orthodontic treatment.
Team Integrations
Our Greater Vancouver orthodontists collaborate closely with speech-language pathologists, ENTs, sleep specialists, physical therapists, and pediatric specialists when needed. The right team leads to the right results.
Learn More About The Professionals We Work WithWhat Therapy Can Help Treat
Myofunctional oral therapy helps address the functional habits that influence breathing, facial development, and oral comfort. By retraining the tongue, lips, and facial muscles, therapy supports healthier patterns that contribute to improved airway health and oral development, especially during childhood.
Therapy can help with:
- Mouth breathing and open-mouth posture
- Tongue-thrust swallowing patterns
- Challenges related to tongue-tie or restricted tongue mobility
- Certain speech or articulation difficulties
- Snoring, restless sleep, or disrupted breathing habits
- Oral habits such as thumb sucking, cheek biting, or prolonged pacifier use
Stronger, more coordinated muscles support healthier breathing, laying the foundation for better overall health.
What Treatment Looks Like
Myofunctional therapy is a guided, exercise-based program designed to build healthier muscle patterns and support long-term airway and orthodontic stability. Each session focuses on strengthening the tongue, improving nasal breathing, and reinforcing functional habits that influence optimal oral development, comfort, and airway function. As patients learn these skills, they begin to develop more efficient patterns that carry into daily life.
Treatment may include:
- Breathing retraining exercises to support consistent nasal breathing
- Tongue-strengthening and mobility work for proper resting posture
- Techniques to correct swallowing patterns and improve oral posture
- At-home exercises to reinforce new habits between visits
Every plan is tailored to the patient's age, needs, and stage of development, ensuring that therapy supports both immediate progress and long-term health.