Orthodontic treatment is a transformative journey for many children, but its success can depend heavily on more than just braces. One critical component often overlooked is the role of myofunctional therapy. This specialized therapy focuses on correcting improper oral habits and strengthening the orofacial muscles, which play a vital role in long-term orthodontic success. Here’s why myofunctional therapy might be the missing piece in your child’s orthodontic plan.
Tongue Thrust and Its Impact on Orthodontics
One of the most common myofunctional issues in children is tongue thrust, a condition where the tongue pushes against or between the teeth during swallowing and at rest. This habit can lead to improper teeth alignment, creating open bites or overbites.
Without addressing tongue thrust, orthodontic treatment can become significantly more challenging:
- Prolonged Treatment Time: Braces may take longer to achieve desired results since the underlying muscle habits continue to counteract tooth movement.
- Relapse After Braces: Once braces are removed, the persistent pressure from a tongue thrust can cause teeth to shift back to their original positions.
Correcting these muscle patterns early with myofunctional therapy ensures that the teeth remain stable after orthodontic treatment, helping prevent a relapse that could require future corrections.
Why Myofunctional Therapy Before Braces?
Starting myofunctional therapy before braces offers a solid foundation for successful orthodontic treatment. Here’s how it helps:
- Optimizing Orofacial Muscle Function: Myofunctional therapy retrains the tongue, lips, and cheeks to rest and function correctly. This eliminates improper muscle forces that can hinder orthodontic progress.
- Encouraging Jaw Growth and Development: In younger children, myofunctional therapy can help widen the upper jaw and improve the alignment of the lower jaw while they’re still growing. This may reduce the need for more extensive orthodontic interventions later.
- Preparing for Braces: By improving oral muscle function and correcting habits like mouth breathing or thumb sucking, myofunctional therapy sets the stage for faster and more effective orthodontic treatment.
The Role of Myofunctional Therapy at Every Stage of Orthodontics
Although starting myofunctional therapy before braces is ideal, it can also provide benefits during and after orthodontic treatment:
- During Braces: Myofunctional therapy complements the mechanical work of braces by ensuring proper tongue posture and function. This helps guide the teeth into their ideal positions more efficiently.
- After Braces: To maintain the results achieved with braces, myofunctional therapy reinforces good oral habits, preventing a relapse caused by residual muscle dysfunction.
Pre-Orthodontic Goals: Harnessing Natural Growth Potential
The best time to intervene with myofunctional therapy is during childhood, when the jaws and orofacial muscles are still developing. The goals of pre-orthodontic therapy include:
- Improving Breathing and Swallowing Patterns: Proper nasal breathing and swallowing techniques help optimize overall oral health and support correct teeth alignment.
- Widening the Jaws: Expanding the upper jaw can create more space for the permanent teeth to erupt naturally, reducing crowding and the need for extractions.
- Establishing Functional Muscle Patterns: Correcting muscle function early ensures that orthodontic treatment can work more effectively, with stable long-term results.
Orthodontic treatment is about more than just straightening teeth—it’s about creating a healthy, functional smile that lasts a lifetime. Myofunctional therapy plays a crucial role in addressing underlying muscle dysfunctions that can compromise orthodontic success. Whether started before, during, or after braces, this therapy can make a significant difference in the effectiveness and longevity of treatment.
If you’re considering braces for your child, consult with a myofunctional therapist to explore how this therapy can set the stage for a successful orthodontic journey. At Restore Modern Dentistry, we offer comprehensive evaluations to ensure your child’s smile gets the best start possible.