What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
If you’ve ever struggled with snoring, clenching your teeth, TMJ discomfort, or difficulty breathing through your nose, you may be surprised to learn that your tongue and facial muscles play a big role in these issues. At Sandquist Dentistry in Las Vegas, we often meet patients who want long-term solutions that go beyond simply managing symptoms. That’s where myofunctional therapy comes in.
A Natural Way to Retrain Your Muscles
Myofunctional therapy is a series of gentle exercises designed to strengthen and improve the function of your tongue and surrounding facial muscles. Just like working out at the gym builds strength in your arms and legs, these targeted exercises help your oral and facial muscles function in harmony.
The goals of myofunctional therapy include:
- Improving tongue tone and posture
- Establishing a consistent lip seal
- Encouraging nasal breathing over mouth breathing
- Promoting a healthy, proper swallow
When these functions are working as they should, your mouth and airway remain balanced, reducing strain on your teeth and jaw while helping you breathe more easily.
What Do the Exercises Look Like?
Patients are often curious about what “therapy” really means in practice. Fortunately, the exercises are simple and can be done at home once you’ve learned them. A few examples include:
- Tongue Placement Drills: Practicing resting the tongue on the roof of the mouth to encourage proper posture.
- Lip Seal Training: Holding the lips together while breathing through the nose to build muscle tone and improve nasal breathing.
- Swallow Practice: Learning to swallow without the tongue pushing forward against the teeth, which helps protect alignment and reduce strain.
- Breathing Exercises: Slow, controlled nasal breathing to retrain airflow and support a calm nervous system.
Each program is customized based on your unique needs, and progress builds gradually—similar to strengthening any other set of muscles.
Benefits Beyond the Mouth
One of the most exciting things about myofunctional therapy is the wide range of improvements patients often experience. Because your tongue, airway, and nervous system are all connected, training these muscles can support better sleep and overall health. Benefits may include:
- Less snoring and fewer sleep disruptions
- Reduced teeth grinding (bruxism)
- Relief from TMJ discomfort
- Improved outcomes for patients with sleep apnea
And perhaps most importantly, the ultimate goal of myofunctional therapy is to help calm the nervous system. By restoring proper breathing and muscle function, your body can relax more naturally, making it easier to sleep soundly, feel rested, and live with less stress.
Is Myofunctional Therapy Right for You?
If you’ve noticed issues with snoring, frequent jaw pain, crooked teeth linked to tongue posture, or difficulty breathing through your nose, you may benefit from myofunctional therapy. At Sandquist Dentistry, we take the time to evaluate how your muscles, teeth, and airway are working together, then recommend a plan that supports both your dental health and your quality of life.
A Balanced Approach to Better Health
In Las Vegas, many patients are searching for solutions that address the root cause of dental and sleep-related concerns. Myofunctional therapy offers a natural, non-invasive way to improve breathing, posture, and oral function—while also supporting a calmer, healthier nervous system.
If you’d like to learn more, schedule a visit with Sandquist Dentistry. Together, we can explore whether myofunctional therapy is the right step toward better sleep, a stronger smile, and overall wellness.
