Underlying Causes of Myodysfunction
1
Tongue Tie
The lingual frenum is the tethered tissue that stretches from under the tongue to the floor of the mouth. Everyone has one, but for some people it is tighter, and it can restrict the movement of the tongue.
People who are tongue tied often mouth breath and can experience a variety of symptoms such as: chronic jaw pain, facial pain, headaches, clenching and grinding.
The lingual frenum is evaluated at the first assessment appointment. If a tongue tie release is recommended, myofunctional therapy is a key component for optimal results.
2
Mouth Breathing
Mouth breathing is considered emergency breathing, for when we are unable to breath through our noses. Sometimes childhood allergies or chonic congestion can make it neccessay to breath though our mouths. However, when it becomes a habit, it causes a lot of problems.
Mouth breathing perpetuates local inflammation, tonsillar/adenoid enlargement and further nasal resistance. It decreases the oxygen absorbed in our bodies and brains, and greatly effects our ability to obtain a good night's sleep. It can also deregulate our nervous system, shifting us into a sypathetic "fight or flight" state, increasing feelings of anxiety.
The ability to nasal breath is assessed in the first appointment. A referral to an ENT may be recommended if there are structural reasons preventing nasal breathing. However, many times Myofunctional Therapy is a great way to restore nasal breathing, leading to healthier sleep and living
3
Oral Habits
There is a natural developmental progression in swallowing. Did you know that babies swallow differently than adults? Swallowing should transition to what is called secondary swallowing by 5 years of age. There are many things that may interrupt this process, causing a person to stay in a primary or reverse swallowing pattern. These include bottle feeding, pacifiers, thumb sucking, sippy cups, straws, and mouth breathing (did I mention there are a lot of overlapping factors in myodysfunction?) Any oral habit that trains the tongue to function improperly is addressed during Myofunctional Therapy.
The underlying causes of the oral habits have to be discovered and addressed , as oral habits promote improper swallowing and tongue rest position, and influences the poor development of the jaws, leading to malocclusions.
