Disorders

Mouth Breathing

Mouth breathing is when a person breathes through their mouth instead of their nose. This abnormal pattern can stem from the inability to breath nasally due for a variety of reasons including a deviated septum or other nasal obstruction, chronic allergies, or an illness or event that leads to a mouth breathing habit. Mouth breathing dries out the oral cavity and can cause higher rates of cavities, inflammation of tonsils and adenoids, aggravation of asthma, sore throat, and dry and cracked lips. Mouth breathing puts the body into a state of stress, that long term, has a wide range of negative effects on overall health.

Nasal breathing is the natural way of breathing, allowing air to pass through the nose instead of the mouth. Medical professionals agree that nasal breathing is preferred as it allows greater filtration and humidification than mouth breathing.

Air filtered through the nose also contains nitric oxide, which helps maintain respiratory tract health by fighting off infections, stimulating the Vagus nerve, and providing increased blood oxygenation.

Common signs of mouth breathing you may not be aware of

Snoring during sleep
Dry mouth or throat upon waking
Bad breath (halitosis)
Waking up feeling tired, irritable, or with a headache
Chronic fatigue or daytime sleepiness
Dark circles under the eyes

Here's How Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy Can Help

Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy provides a holistic approach to addressing mouth breathing problems. This evidence-based therapy combines muscle re-education techniques with breathing exercises to improve airway health and respiratory function.

The goal is to retrain the facial and mouth muscles to work together more efficiently, which helps to open up the airway and improve breathing capacity. This combination of muscle re-education and breathing exercises is an effective way to restore proper respiratory function and reduce or eliminate sleep-disordered breathing issues such as snoring or apnea.

If you feel that you may be suffering from the harmful effects of mouth breathing, it is important to seek help. Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy can provide a safe and effective solution for improving airway health and restoring proper respiratory function.

You can enjoy better sleep quality, improved overall health, and well-being, and a healthier, more balanced lifestyle with the right treatment. Contact us today for a FREE 30-minute consultation.

Proper Swallow

A proper swallow is important for many reasons, not the least of which is, it serves as the pump for the fluid surrounding our brain and circulates our cerebral spinal fluid. It also helps equalize pressure in the ears by opening and closing the Eustachion tubes. When swallowing incorrectly, the body compensates by recruiting other muscles to help with the job. These patterns over use some muscles while under using others. These patterns can develop for a variety of reasons including tethered or restricted oral tissues limiting tongue movement. Some signs of an incorrect swallow pattern are an open anterior bite and/or tongue thrusting, which is the forward pushing of the tongue against the teeth during swallowing either anteriorly or laterally. Compensatory habits can cause malocclusion, orthodontic relapse, and other dental problems. OMT focuses on the oral preparatory phase of swallowing. In one study by Hahn and Hahn in 1992, 70-80% of individuals who received myofunctional therapy were still swallowing correctly 5 years after treatment, maintaining correct lingual resting posture day and night, and had habituated consistent nasal breathing. If you have experienced orthodontic relapse, or have an open bite, contact Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy for a FREE 30-mintue consultation to discuss how we can help!

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and Snoring:

According to a meta-analysis by Stanford medicine looking at the effectiveness of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) has on patients with OSA, OMT has been shown to decrease the apnea-hypopnea index (number of apnea or hypopnea events per hour while asleep) by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children with mild to moderate sleep apnea. A study by Guilleminault et al. in 2018 found that OMT, when combined with CPAP therapy, led to significant improvement in the quality of life of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. OMT is helpful for making CPAP use more tolerable for individuals that find using their CPAP machine difficult. OMT has also been shown to improve oxygen saturation, reduce snoring and fatigue. At Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy, we use a combination of breathing re-education and OMT, to help you achieve optimal results in improving your sleep and overall health. Contact us for a FREE 30-minute consultation!

TMJ Disorders and Facial Pain

The temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are highly intricate joints in the human body, involving multiple muscles that enable the mandible to move in various directions such as up-down, side-to-side, and forward-backward. When the mandible and the TMJs are in the correct position and function harmoniously, it allows for seamless muscle actions such as talking, chewing, yawning, and swallowing. However, when there is a misalignment or lack of coordination between the muscles, ligaments, disk, jaw bone, and temporal bone, it can lead to various problems. The many complex contributing factors to TMJ pain and other TMD symptoms often necessitate a skilled multi-disciplinary team for management and treatment. In many cases, orofacial myofunctional therapy should be included in a TMD treatment plan. When TMJ pain and other symptoms of TMD are caused by issues with the muscles used for chewing and swallowing, then targeting the function of those muscle groups with OMT is an excellent, non-invasive way to help address the pain. Overall, OMT can be a valuable part of a comprehensive treatment plan for TMJ disorders and facial pain. It can help to address the underlying muscle imbalances and dysfunctions that contribute to these conditions, and improve overall function and quality of life. If you are experiencing TMJ or facial pain, contact Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy for a FREE 30-mintue consultation.

Tongue-Ties & Other Tethered Oral Tissues

A tongue tie, also known as ankyloglossia, is a condition in which the tissue connecting the patient’s tongue to the bottom of its mouth is shorter than normal. This can result in difficulty with breastfeeding, proper oral rest posture, swallowing, speech problems, and may even affect posture. Fortunately, this condition can be corrected with a surgical procedure called a functional frenectomy.

Although the procedure resolves the tongue tie, it does not address any other issues that a tongue tie can cause. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is important to ensure proper muscle development and functioning in the mouth and surrounding areas. The importance of pre-frenectomy and post-frenectomy exercises cannot be understated. By incorporating them into a treatment plan, the patient can find long-term relief from the effects of their tongue tie. If you have been diagnosed with a tongue-tie or lip-tie, contact Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy for a FREE 30-minute consultation!

ADHD

There is a growing body of evidence linking Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with airway-related issues. For individuals with ADHD, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) can provide several benefits. Research has shown that improving breathing patterns and increasing oxygen flow to the brain can help to reduce symptoms of ADHD such as hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. Additionally, the therapy can help to reduce stress and anxiety, which are common co-occurring conditions in individuals with ADHD.

In summary, OMT can help individuals with ADHD by addressing orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs), improving breathing patterns, reducing sleep-related breathing disorders, and reducing stress and anxiety. By improving these areas of functioning, individuals with ADHD may experience an improvement in their overall health and a reduction in ADHD symptoms.

If you or your child have a diagnosis of ADHD, and are interested in OMT, reach out to Breathworks Myofunctional Therapy for a FREE 30-mintue consultation.