Myofunctional Therapy

Myofunctional therapy (MFT; synonym: orofacial muscle function therapy) is a supportive form of therapy in orthodontics. Exercises of the orofacial (mouth and face) musculature are intended to retrain the chewing, tongue, lip and cheek musculature in order to ideally bring about or favorably influence a correction of tooth position, bite position and jaw anomalies.

While classical myofunctional therapy, initiated by the speech therapist Garliner, represented a strictly structured exercise treatment, there are now quite a few age-appropriate modified treatment concepts based on it for

  • Early childhood support for neurological or motor disorders of the orofacial system,
  • Preschool treatment, which deals with counseling, prevention (precaution), and stopping sucking habits, as well as other habits (habits that damage the dentition)
  • Treatment at school age: here, based on the cognitive maturity of patients, corrective measures are possible through structured exercises
  • The adult treatment.

Indications (areas of application)

MFT is used as adjunctive therapy for example in:

  • Dysgnathia (maldevelopment of the jaws and/or the masticatory system).
  • Incorrect swallowing pattern
  • Tongue depressor
  • Habits (orofacial dyskinesia, dentition damaging habits).
  • Speech therapy (speech therapy), so, for example, sigmatisms (sound malformations).
  • After orthodontic treatment to prevent a relapse (relapse).
  • Facial pain syndrome

Here, age-dependent emphasis is placed in the treatment concepts:

Preschool age:

  • Switching from mouth to nose breathing.
  • Stopping habits (damaging habits) such as sucking, cheek or lip biting, sucking or chewing, tongue clenching
  • Improving the eating and swallowing function
  • Promote oral sensitivity and perceptual ability
  • Improve oral motor skills
  • Initiate the correct articulation

School age:

  • Special swallowing training and automation of somatic swallowing, in which the tongue is attached to the roof of the mouth.
  • Articulation exercises
  • Exercises to normalize lip tone (lip tension).
  • Working towards a balanced muscle tone of the entire body.
  • Breathing exercises

The procedure

The numerous exercises to promote harmonious muscle function in the orofacial system (in the system of chewing and facial muscles) include all muscle groups involved in the functions of chewing, swallowing, articulation and breathing. The training is built up gradually and must be carried out regularly at home, for which emotionally responsive programs are the most effective and in which parents also play a very important role; as they must accompany the therapy through constant gentle reminding and positive reinforcement.

Wearing an oral vestibular plate (MVP) can also be classified as myofunctional therapy, as it influences specific muscle groups:

  • In its simplest form as a plastic shield in the oral vestibule (space between the lips and teeth), it can be used for exercises to increase lip tone in mouth breathers.
  • An MVP with a movable suspended bead serves as a training device for the tongue. This is changed by the bead in their position, influenced in the swallowing process and promoted in their muscle tone.
  • An MVP with tongue grid helps to influence the position and pressure of the tongue when tongue pressing. If the swallowing pattern is incorrect, it helps to improve the tongue position during swallowing.