Myofunctional Therapy

for Little Kids (2-7y)

Training the Muscles That Shape the Face, Jaw, and Airway

For a healthy child to grow into a healthy adult — and for adults to maintain oral stability and ease — the muscles of the face, tongue, and airway must work as they were designed. Whether we’re working with toddlers, teens, or adults, the goal is the same: to support nasal breathing, proper tongue posture, and balanced facial muscle function — because these patterns influence everything from tooth alignment to sleep quality.

Why Does Myofunctional Therapy Matter?

Early in life, dysfunctional patterns can affect:

Jaw and facial development
Spacing and crowding of teeth
Sleep and behavior
Speech and feeding skills

In older kids and adults, these same patterns can contribute to:

Orthodontic relapse
Mouth breathing and fatigue
TMJ pain and headaches
Muscle tension and poor posture
Sleep-disordered breathing

These issues are not just cosmetic or behavioral — they’re functional. Myofunctional therapy offers a proactive way to address the root causes through habit training, muscle coordination, and breath support.

What Does Therapy Involve?

Myofunctional therapy is like physical therapy for the face. Through age-appropriate exercises, we retrain:

Tongue posture (resting against the palate)
Swallowing mechanics
Nasal breathing habits
Oral rest posture (lips together, tongue up, breathing through the nose)

Therapy is personalized based on age, development, and goals. For toddlers, it might look like playful coaching and habit support. For older kids and adults, it may include guided exercises, habit tracking, and integration with other treatments (like appliances or airway therapy)

We often pair myofunctional therapy with: