Myofunctional Therapy

Better Habits. Better Health. For Life.

At Smile Tone, our myofunctional therapy programs are designed to help people of all ages restore healthy oral function and breathing patterns. By retraining the tongue, lips, cheeks, jaw, and throat muscles, we support proper chewing, swallowing, speaking, and — most importantly — a healthy resting posture of the mouth and tongue.

When orofacial muscles work in harmony, breathing becomes easier, sleep improves, and the face and jaws are able to grow and function as nature intended.

What is Myofunctional Therapy?

Myofunctional therapy is an evidence‑based program that uses targeted exercises, reminders, and lifestyle strategies to correct orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). These are patterns of muscle use and posture that disrupt optimal breathing, chewing, swallowing, or resting oral position.

The ideal orofacial posture — day and night — is with the lips gently closed, breathing through the nose, the tongue resting lightly against the palate, and the teeth slightly apart. Many people are surprised when asked: What is your oral rest posture like right now?

What to expect

After a thorough initial assessment, we create a tailored program that usually aims to:

  • Reinforce a resting tongue posture in the palate, away from the teeth.

  • Establish correct oral and facial muscle coordination for efficient chewing and eating.

  • Retrain the tongue, lips, and jaw to support proper resting posture and stability.

  • Establish a mature, efficient swallowing pattern.

  • Prevent relapse following orthodontic treatment.

  • Support nasal breathing and reduce open‑mouth posture.

  • Improve the relationship between dental arches, helping reduce open bite, overjet, or crossbite.

  • Promote favourable conditions for dental and jaw development.

  • Reduce oral dryness (xerostomia) by encouraging closed‑mouth breathing.

  • Support ideal facial muscle tone for chewing, swallowing, and speech.

  • Eliminate habits such as thumb or finger sucking to allow normal growth of the palate and jaws.

What causes Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)?

OMDs rarely have a single cause. They often develop from a combination of factors including:

Airway and Breathing Challenges
Enlarged adenoids or tonsils, allergies, chronic nasal congestion, a narrow or high palate, or underdeveloped jaws can restrict nasal breathing and promote mouth breathing.

Nutrition and Lifestyle Influences
A hurried lifestyle, stress, sedentary habits, and poor posture may reduce the quality of meals and limit healthy oral muscle development.

Developmental Factors
Conditions such as tongue‑tie or lip‑tie, cleft palate, or low muscle tone may restrict tongue and lip movement, altering chewing, swallowing, and speech patterns.

Feeding Practices
Extended use of bottles or sippy cups, along with reliance on soft or processed foods, may limit the stimulation needed for healthy jaw growth.

Oral Habits
Behaviours such as thumb or finger sucking, lip licking, nail biting, or prolonged dummy use can interfere with normal oral posture and jaw development.

Injury or Medical Conditions
Burns, trauma, neurological conditions, stroke, or facial paralysis can all contribute to orofacial dysfunction.

Why treatment matters

When OMDs are left untreated, they may contribute to a wide range of problems that affect not only the mouth but the whole body. These can include:

Children may experience crooked teeth, delayed facial growth, prolonged meal times, fussy eating, tummy pain, or speech difficulties. Many also struggle with restless sleep, snoring, or mouth breathing, which can affect behaviour, concentration, and emotional regulation.

Adults often present with TMJ pain, headaches, clenching and grinding, poor sleep, chronic fatigue, digestive concerns, or airway problems such as obstructive sleep apnoea or upper airway resistance syndrome. Over time, these issues may lead to changes in facial appearance, posture problems, and a significant reduction in quality of life.

At Smile Tone, we can help

Our myofunctional therapy programs are designed to address both the symptoms you experience and the underlying patterns that cause them. Through gentle, consistent exercises and support, we help you or your child build new habits that last a lifetime — improving breathing, sleep, oral function, and overall wellbeing.

Your journey to better health starts with a single step. Book your initial consultation today and discover how small daily changes in orofacial function can transform your life.