The questions we hear most.

Myofunctional therapy is a specialized therapy that improves how the muscles of the tongue, lips, and face work together. These muscles play an important role in breathing, swallowing, oral posture, jaw development, and sleep quality for both children and adults.

Because form follows function, the way these muscles work influences how the jaws grow, how we breathe, and how comfortably the jaw functions. When the tongue and surrounding muscles are not working optimally, the body may develop compensations that affect breathing patterns, jaw development, sleep quality, and overall comfort.

Children often come in because of concerns such as mouth breathing, restless sleep, a narrow palate, or speech challenges. Adults may seek therapy for issues like jaw tension or TMJ symptoms, clenching or grinding, sleep concerns, or orthodontic relapse.

Myofunctional therapy uses targeted exercises and habit training to retrain these muscle patterns so they support healthier breathing, proper tongue posture, and more balanced muscle function. A myofunctional evaluation helps determine whether therapy may be beneficial and how it can fit into your or your child's overall care.

Many parents first become concerned when they notice their child breathing through their mouth or having restless sleep. These patterns can sometimes indicate that the tongue and oral muscles are not functioning optimally, which may affect breathing, sleep quality, and jaw development over time.

Other signs that may suggest a child could benefit from a myofunctional evaluation include tongue tie, low tongue posture, open mouth posture, snoring, a narrow palate or crowded teeth, speech concerns, or behavioral and attention challenges related to poor sleep. Some children may also have dark circles under the eyes or enlarged tonsils and adenoids, which can sometimes contribute to breathing difficulties during sleep.

Because every child is different, a comprehensive myofunctional evaluation helps identify the patterns that may be contributing to these concerns. During the evaluation, we assess breathing patterns, tongue posture, muscle function, and how the tongue and surrounding muscles work together to support healthy breathing, sleep, and oral development.

Children may breathe through their mouth for several different reasons. In some cases, it may be related to nasal obstruction, such as allergies, enlarged tonsils or adenoids, or chronic congestion. In other cases, mouth breathing can develop as a habit when the tongue rests low in the mouth instead of supporting the palate. A tongue tie or restricted tongue mobility may also make it harder for the tongue to rest in the proper position.

Over time, mouth breathing can influence how the jaws develop, how well a child sleeps, and how the muscles of the face and mouth function. Some children who mouth breathe may also experience restless sleep, snoring, narrow palate development, or open mouth posture during the day.

Because mouth breathing can have multiple contributing factors, it's important to look at the whole picture. During a myofunctional evaluation, we assess breathing patterns, tongue posture, oral muscle function, and other factors that may be influencing how your child breathes.

Sleep quality is closely connected to how a child breathes. Children who breathe through their mouth, have low tongue posture, or experience airway resistance during sleep may have restless or disrupted sleep. Some parents notice signs such as snoring, teeth grinding, frequent movement during the night, difficulty waking in the morning, or daytime behavior and attention challenges.

Myofunctional therapy focuses on improving tongue posture, breathing patterns, and muscle function so that the airway can function more efficiently during sleep. By retraining these patterns and encouraging proper nasal breathing, therapy can help support healthier sleep habits and more restful breathing at night.

Myofunctional therapy focuses on improving tongue posture, nasal breathing, oral muscle function, and swallowing patterns such as tongue thrust — all of which play an important role in how the jaws develop during growth. When the tongue rests properly in the palate and breathing occurs through the nose, it supports healthy jaw and airway development.

In some cases, improving these muscle patterns early can help support more favourable growth and may reduce the severity of orthodontic concerns. However, every child develops differently, and some children may still benefit from orthodontic treatment. Myofunctional therapy and orthodontics often work best together, supporting both the structure of the mouth and the muscle patterns that influence long-term stability.

The palate (roof of the mouth) develops through the natural pressure of the tongue resting against it during growth and healthy nasal breathing. The tongue is the natural expander of the palate. When the tongue rests properly in this position and breathing occurs through the nose, it supports healthy jaw and airway development. If the tongue rests low or a child primarily breathes through their mouth, the palate may not develop as broadly as it could.

Myofunctional therapy focuses on improving tongue posture, nasal breathing, and muscle function, which supports healthier oral development. Improving these patterns early helps guide development as a child grows.

For children who already have a significantly narrow palate, orthodontic expansion may also be recommended to create the space needed for proper tongue posture and airway development. Myofunctional therapy and orthodontic treatment often work best together, supporting both the structure and function of the mouth.

It depends on your child's individual needs. Orthodontic expansion focuses on creating structure and space in the mouth, while myofunctional therapy focuses on improving how the tongue and oral muscles function — proper tongue posture, nasal breathing, and swallowing patterns.

Because form follows function, orthodontic treatment often works more effectively when the muscles are supporting it rather than working against it. In some cases, improving muscle function first helps prepare the mouth for orthodontic treatment. In other cases, creating space with expansion may be necessary so the tongue has room to rest in the proper position.

The best outcomes often occur when orthodontists and myofunctional therapists work collaboratively, addressing both structure and function. A thorough evaluation helps determine the best sequence for your child's specific situation.

A tongue tie occurs when the tissue under the tongue restricts how the tongue is able to move. Because the tongue plays an important role in breathing, swallowing, speech, and oral posture, a restriction can sometimes affect several areas of function.

In children, signs may include feeding difficulties in infancy, speech concerns, mouth breathing, restless sleep, narrow palate development, or difficulty keeping the tongue resting in the roof of the mouth. In adults, a tongue tie may contribute to jaw tension, TMJ discomfort, clenching or grinding, headaches, neck or shoulder tension, difficulty maintaining proper tongue posture, or orthodontic relapse.

Not every tongue tie causes noticeable symptoms, and not every tongue tie needs to be released. A comprehensive evaluation helps determine whether a restriction is present, how it may be affecting tongue movement and function, and whether therapy alone may be sufficient or if a release may also be recommended.

A tongue tie can limit how the tongue moves, which may affect breathing, swallowing, oral posture, speech, and jaw and airway development. During an evaluation, we look not only at whether a tongue tie is present, but also at how well the tongue is able to move and do its job, whether other muscles are compensating, and how these patterns may be affecting breathing, sleep, and oral development.

Not every tongue tie requires a release. The decision depends on how restricted the tongue is and how it is affecting everyday activities like breathing, swallowing, and oral posture. Some patients achieve normal tongue movement through therapy alone, while others may benefit from a release. When a release is recommended, it is important that myofunctional therapy is done both before and after the procedure. Preparing the tongue beforehand improves movement patterns, increases comfort, and may reduce the risk of scarring or reattachment. Afterward, therapy supports proper healing and retrains the tongue to rest and function properly long term.

Because every patient is different, a comprehensive evaluation helps determine whether a tongue tie is affecting how the tongue works and how it fits into the overall treatment plan.

Yes. A common myth is that myofunctional therapy is only for children, but adults also benefit from improving how the muscles of the tongue, lips, and face function. These patterns influence breathing, oral posture, swallowing, and jaw comfort throughout life.

Many adults seek therapy for concerns such as jaw tension or TMJ discomfort, clenching or grinding, headaches, sleep-related issues, tongue thrust, or orthodontic relapse. When the tongue rests low or the oral muscles are out of balance, additional strain can be placed on the jaw joints and surrounding muscles.

Therapy focuses on retraining these patterns so the tongue can rest in the proper position, breathing can occur through the nose, and the muscles of the mouth and face can work together more efficiently — supporting better breathing, improved oral posture, and greater jaw comfort. It is never too late to feel your best.

The jaw joints (TMJ) work closely with the muscles of the tongue, face, and neck. When these muscles are not in balance — such as when the tongue rests low, the teeth are frequently clenched, or breathing patterns are not optimal — additional strain can be placed on the jaw joints and surrounding muscles.

Some people with TMJ-related symptoms experience jaw tension, facial pain, headaches, neck or shoulder tension, or clenching and grinding. Myofunctional therapy focuses on improving tongue posture, breathing patterns, and muscle coordination so the muscles of the mouth and face can work together more efficiently.

For some patients, improving these patterns can help reduce strain on the jaw. Therapy may also be used alongside care from other providers, such as physical therapists, orthodontists, dentists, or osteopathic physicians, depending on the underlying cause.

The myofunctional evaluation at Heart Myo is both educational and highly individualized. Because the way the oral muscles function can influence many areas of health, we begin by reviewing your full health history — patterns throughout life that may be connected to current symptoms, such as feeding history, breathing patterns, sleep habits, allergies, or speech concerns.

During the evaluation, we also assess how the muscles of the tongue, lips, and face work together, helping us understand how tongue posture, breathing, swallowing, and muscle coordination may be contributing to your or your child's symptoms.

The evaluation is 90 minutes long. The first portion focuses on health history and assessing muscle function. Afterward, we review the findings together and discuss a personalized treatment plan based on your specific needs and goals. If you're wondering whether myofunctional therapy may help, the evaluation is the best place to start.

The myofunctional evaluation is $300 and is a comprehensive 90-minute appointment. During this visit we review health history, assess how the muscles of the tongue, lips, and face are functioning, and identify patterns that may be contributing to breathing, sleep, or oral function concerns.

By the end, we've gathered the information needed to understand the severity of symptoms and underlying patterns, and we review the findings together to discuss a personalized treatment plan.

Myofunctional therapy in our office is offered through comprehensive programs rather than individual sessions, with a clear structure and endpoint — so you know exactly what to expect, with no surprise or hidden fees along the way.

The length varies depending on each person's symptoms, goals, and how the oral muscles are functioning. During the evaluation we assess these patterns and create a personalized treatment plan.

For many patients with moderate symptoms, therapy often takes approximately 6–8 months to complete. In a typical program, clients meet with their therapist once every two weeks for about 30–45 minute sessions where exercises are taught and learned. Between sessions, practice is required for about 5 minutes, twice a day. Because therapy retrains muscle patterns and builds new habits, progress depends on consistent practice outside of sessions. Once active therapy is complete, exercises are no longer required.

Therapy is offered through structured programs with a clear pathway and endpoint, rather than an indefinite number of visits — so you can understand what to expect and work steadily toward your goals.

Myofunctional therapy in our office is offered through comprehensive treatment programs rather than individual sessions. This allows us to create a clear treatment plan with a defined pathway toward your goals.

The exact cost depends on the severity of symptoms and the length of the program, which is determined during the evaluation. Once we understand your specific needs, we recommend the program that best supports your goals.

Because treatment is structured through comprehensive programs, patients know what to expect from the beginning, with no surprise or hidden fees along the way.

Myofunctional therapy is typically not covered by medical or dental insurance. Heart Myo does not directly bill insurance and is considered an out-of-network provider.

Working outside of insurance lets us focus on individualized care rather than being limited by insurance requirements — giving us the flexibility to spend the appropriate amount of time with each patient and build treatment plans based on clinical needs rather than insurance restrictions.

Our office accepts HSA and FSA funds, as well as all major credit cards. Payment plans and financing options are also available, including some options with 0% interest.