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Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley CA
Do you keep getting cavities no matter how diligent you are about your brushing and flossing?
Are you always tired, no matter how early you go to bed?
Is your child experiencing difficulties chewing, swallowing or with their development of speech?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, your dentist in Scotts Valley may have a solution: a method of treatment called myofunctional therapy. Becoming increasingly popular in recent years, Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry has been using myofunctional therapy for quite some time to treat an array of different problems and issues. Read on as, today on the blog, we explore some of the benefits of myofunctional therapy.
What is myofunctional therapy and how does it work?
Myofunctional therapy consists of performing a series of simple exercises that work the tongue, your facial muscles, your mouth muscles or a combination. The individual exercises in each regimen vary from person to person. Generally speaking, the exercises in a course of myofunctional therapy are simple, can be completed in a few minutes and should be performed without any significant discomfort. The time frame of therapy is determined on a case-by-case basis but, typically, positive results from a course of myofunctional therapy manifest in about six months.
The benefits of myofunctional therapy
Achieve ideal resting oral posture: This means, when you are not eating or speaking, your orofacial system is at rest with lips closed, teeth closed and the tongue resting comfortably against the upper palate.
Nasal breathing: Not only is nasal breathing more efficient, but it also leads to higher oxygen levels in the blood and increases the production of nitric oxide, which kills many of the potentially harmful bacteria in your system. Frequent mouth breathing, whether you are asleep or awake, can predispose you to a host of potential issues, including snoring and the proliferation of cavity-causing bacteria.
Sleep apnea treatment: Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious sleep breathing disorder that occurs either from an airway obstruction—usually either a collapse of the soft tissue of the throat—or when the tongue slides back into the airway because there is not enough room to accommodate the tongue. Using myofunctional therapy to achieve the ideal oral resting posture means the mouth has more room for the tongue. This therapy also strengthens throat muscles, preventing the soft tissue collapses that occur during an apnea attack.
TMJ disorder treatment: If you have temporomandibular joint disorder, this affects the surrounding nerves and musculature, often causing chronic and debilitating pain. Myofunctional therapy can alleviate whatever is stressing the muscles of the face and mouth, and even potentially remove the source of dysfunction in the temporomandibular joint itself.
Get myofunctional therapy in the Central Coast of California
Not all dentists offer myofunctional therapy. If you’re interested in this method of treatment, you should seek out a dental practice with an experienced, trained myofunctional therapist. Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry is proud to offer myofunctional therapy to Los Gatos, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and the surrounding areas in California. To find more about this method of treatment or any of the other services we offer, call (831) 438-4411 or contact us online.
