How it Works
Myofunctional therapy is typically conducted over multiple sessions, each lasting between 30 to 90 minutes.
At Funny Face, we offer both in-person and online sessions via Zoom to accommodate your preferences. The duration and number of sessions depend on the severity of your condition and your individual needs. While some individuals may benefit from just a few brief sessions, others may require more extended treatment. Ashley will work closely with you to tailor a plan that best addresses your needs and ensures the most
effective outcomes.
Learn About Common Oral Disorders
Adults & OMT
While myofunctional therapy is often recommended for children to interrupt developmental challenges, it can also provide significant benefits for adults! At Funny Face, we offer myofunctional therapy for individuals of all ages.
With dedication to your therapy exercises, you can achieve remarkable results. If you had orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) as a child that were not addressed, your body may have adapted over time. However, this doesn’t mean
you have to continue living with pain, discomfort, or dysfunction. Myofunctional therapy provides effective solutions to help you achieve optimal health and well-being!
Possible orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) that might be impacting
your health, whether or not you are aware of them, include mouth breathing,
restricted tongue or lip mobility, a tongue thrust swallowing pattern, and a low
resting tongue posture, among others.
The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located just in front of the ear, acts as the hinge that allows your mouth to open and close.
Jaw pain is a common concern I encounter frequently in my dental practice as a dental hygienist. This discomfort can arise from various causes and can significantly impact your daily life.
If your dental provider has recommended a custom night guard, it’s important to note that while it protects your teeth, it doesn’t address the underlying cause of teeth grinding. To truly resolve the issue, it’s crucial to address the root cause of the problem.
Possible factors of jaw pain or TMJ Disorder
- Grinding or clenching otherwise known as bruxism
- Trauma to the jaw, joint or muscles of face and neck
- Incorrect tongue posture or low lying tongue
- Mouth breathing
- Tongue tie
- Incorrect chewing or swallowing
- Teeth crowding or malocclusion
- Sleep related breathing disorder
- Sleep position - laying predominantly on one side or lying on tummy
- Arthritis or degenerative conditions
- Genetics
Common symptoms associated with TMJD
- Chronic jaw pain, tension or stiffness
- Headaches
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Earache
- Ringing in ears or tinnitus or hearing difficulties
- Teeth grinding / clenching
- Clicking or popping sounds in the jaw when eating, speaking, chewing, yawning, etc
- Limited opening of jaw
- Vertigo or dizziness
Myofunctional therapy can effectively address a range of issues and alleviate jaw pain. Through our collaboration, we will focus on enhancing the strength and coordination of your facial muscles, correcting chewing and swallowing
dysfunctions, training your body to breathe comfortably through your nose, and gradually increasing your jaw's range of motion. These improvements can significantly enhance your overall quality of life.
Sleep apnea is a common condition where breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, potentially leading to serious health issues such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. This disruption often occurs when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses, obstructing the airway, with the tongue being drawn against the throat and blocking airflow.
Myofunctional therapy offers a promising approach to improving sleep quality. Research shows that it can reduce the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) by up to 50%, which reflects a significant decrease in sleep disruptions. You can receive your AHI by completing a sleep study. This therapy is gaining recognition from medical and sleep specialists for its effectiveness in addressing sleep-related breathing disorders in both adults and children.
By strengthening the tongue and oral muscles and promoting proper tongue posture, myofunctional therapy can enhance airway function and alleviate sleep apnea symptoms.
If you suspect you have a sleep-related breathing disorder, a sleep study is the most reliable way to assess the quality of your sleep and determine the appropriate treatment.
Symptoms of sleep related breathing disorders:
- Interrupted breathing during sleep or pauses
- Loud snoring or gasping for air
- Restless sleep
- Multiple washroom breaks
- Lack of focus
- Sleepiness during the day / falling asleep in odd places / times
- Anxiety / depression
- Morning headaches
- Mood changes
- GERD (acid reflux) , uncontrolled high blood pressure and diabetes
- Obesity
References; sleep apnea
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4402674/
https://www.myoplace.com/sleep-apnea
Look into the mirror or open up your front camera. Lift up your tongue and you will see a vertical band of tissue attaching your tongue to the floor of your mouth. This tissue is known as the lingual frenum. It can be thick, thin and attach in different lengths up the tongue. In a more severe case of tongue tie, the lingual frenum will be attached to the very tip of the tongue.
Tongue Range of Motion Test
Keeping your jaw opened to a comfortable extent, lift your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind the front teeth. If your jaw moves, gently place two fingers on your chin to stabilize it. If your tongue can meet the spot, you have great range! If you can only lift about halfway or less, there is a significant tongue restriction.
For optimal tongue mobility, the lingual frenum should be positioned midway up and consist of a thin band of tissue. If you have a restricted tissue, thelingual frenum may be short, thick or tight when the tongue lifts.
If a tongue-tie goes unaddressed as a child, the body may adapt and correction might not be necessary. However, a tongue-tie can still contribute to muscle tension and other symptoms that may not be immediately obvious.
The lingual frenum is typically absorbed before birth, around 12 weeks in utero. However, approximately 3.5-5% of people are born with a tongue-tie. Most infants are evaluated at birth to prevent issues with latching and feeding.
Symptoms of Tongue Ties in Adults
- Neck and shoulder tension
- Headaches / migraines
- Sleep difficulties (snoring, teeth grinding, sleep apnea, poor quality sleep, feeling fatigue/ brain fog)
- Slow eating
- Difficulty swallowing pills
- Speech difficulties (gets tired of talking, mumbling, stuttering, history of speech therapy or speech delay as a child)
- mouth breathing
- Acid reflux or GERD
- Stress / anxiety
- Constipation
- Problems sticking out your tongue, messy eater or unable to lick an ice
cream cone.
- Trouble lifting your tongue up to the roof or side to side
- Your tongue looks notched or heart - shaped when you stick it out.
Remember, you don't need to exhibit all the symptoms to have a tongue-tie. Some adults with a moderate tongue-tie may still have excellent speech. The key is to consider the overall impact on your well-being. Addressing a tongue-tie with a minor and relatively straightforward procedure can significantly reduce tension and alleviate related health concerns.
Look into the mirror or open up your front camera. Lift up your tongue and you will see a vertical band of tissue attaching your tongue to the floor of your mouth. This tissue is known as the lingual frenum. It can be thick, thin and attach in different lengths up the tongue. In a more severe case of tongue tie, the lingual frenum will be attached to the very tip of the tongue.
Tongue Range of Motion Test
Keeping your jaw opened to a comfortable extent, lift your tongue to the roof of your mouth behind the front teeth. If your jaw moves, gently place two fingers on your chin to stabilize it. If your tongue can meet the spot, you have great range! If you can only lift about halfway or less, there is a significant tongue restriction.
For optimal tongue mobility, the lingual frenum should be positioned midway up and consist of a thin band of tissue. If you have a restricted tissue, thelingual frenum may be short, thick or tight when the tongue lifts.
If a tongue-tie goes unaddressed as a child, the body may adapt and correction might not be necessary. However, a tongue-tie can still contribute to muscle tension and other symptoms that may not be immediately obvious.
The lingual frenum is typically absorbed before birth, around 12 weeks in utero. However, approximately 3.5-5% of people are born with a tongue-tie. Most infants are evaluated at birth to prevent issues with latching and feeding.
Symptoms of Tongue Ties in Adults
- Neck and shoulder tension
- Headaches / migraines
- Sleep difficulties (snoring, teeth grinding, sleep apnea, poor quality sleep, feeling fatigue/ brain fog)
- Slow eating
- Difficulty swallowing pills
- Speech difficulties (gets tired of talking, mumbling, stuttering, history of speech therapy or speech delay as a child)
- mouth breathing
- Acid reflux or GERD
- Stress / anxiety
- Constipation
- Problems sticking out your tongue, messy eater or unable to lick an ice
cream cone.
- Trouble lifting your tongue up to the roof or side to side
- Your tongue looks notched or heart - shaped when you stick it out.
Remember, you don't need to exhibit all the symptoms to have a tongue-tie. Some adults with a moderate tongue-tie may still have excellent speech. The key is to consider the overall impact on your well-being. Addressing a tongue-tie with a minor and relatively straightforward procedure can significantly reduce tension and alleviate related health concerns.
Treating tongue-tie in adults
As an adult, it's never too late to correct a tongue-tie. A doctor can help you diagnose the condition and find a treatment plan that works best for you. They’ll perform a physical exam and record your medical history while making a diagnosis.
The surgery to correct tongue-tie is called a frenectomy. It involves cutting the lingual frenum with a CO2 Laser or medical scissors.
To prepare you for the procedure, consult your myofunctional therapist at Funny Face. Together, we will start to exercise your tongue muscles to be ready for the release and encourage proper tongue and lip posture, nasal breathing and proper swallowing. Without myofunctional therapy, the procedure may not be successful, and a second cut will be required. Just like if you were to have a joint replacement without any physical therapy!
The procedure is usually quick and simple. Virtually painless and used with local anesthetic (no sedation required). You may experience minimal discomfort or soreness for a few days but nothing ice cream, Advil & Tylenol can’t help with! Complications are rare, but there are always some risks to surgery, including bleeding, infection, or scarring. In some cases, you can feel immediate relief of tension and can look forward to improved sleep!
In cases where the lingual frenulum is particularly thick, a second release or a more extensive surgery called a frenuloplasty may be necessary. Unlike a frenectomy, this surgery is done under general anesthesia. It usually requires stitches.
As an adult, it's never too late to correct a tongue-tie. A doctor can help you diagnose the condition and find a treatment plan that works best for you. They’ll perform a physical exam and record your medical history while making a diagnosis.
The surgery to correct tongue-tie is called a frenectomy. It involves cutting the lingual frenum with a CO2 Laser or medical scissors.
To prepare you for the procedure, consult your myofunctional therapist at Funny Face. Together, we will start to exercise your tongue muscles to be ready for the release and encourage proper tongue and lip posture, nasal breathing and proper swallowing. Without myofunctional therapy, the procedure may not be successful, and a second cut will be required. Just like if you were to have a joint replacement without any physical therapy!
The procedure is usually quick and simple. Virtually painless and used with local anesthetic (no sedation required). You may experience minimal discomfort or soreness for a few days but nothing ice cream, Advil & Tylenol can’t help with! Complications are rare, but there are always some risks to surgery, including bleeding, infection, or scarring. In some cases, you can feel immediate relief of tension and can look forward to improved sleep!
In cases where the lingual frenulum is particularly thick, a second release or a more extensive surgery called a frenuloplasty may be necessary. Unlike a frenectomy, this surgery is done under general anesthesia. It usually requires stitches.
References; tongue tie
https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrcl/8/3/89
https://tonguetieal.com/do-tongue-ties-affect-adults-what-symptoms-do-they-have/
https://www.healthline.com/health/dental-and-oral-health/tongue-tie-in-adults#1