These aren't random problems — they're muscle habits. The way your tongue rests, the way you breathe, the way you swallow. And muscle habits can be retrained, at any age.
Breathe. Function. Thrive.
Most of our patients found us by googling a symptom — not a therapy. If any of these sound like you or your child, you're in exactly the right place.
Your child sleeps with their mouth open, wakes up tired, or always seems congested.
Braces worked… until they didn't. The tongue pushing on teeth can undo orthodontics.
Snoring, restless nights, grinding, or waking unrefreshed — in kids and adults alike.
A tight jaw, clicking, clenching, or tension headaches that keep coming back.
Picky eating, messy or slow eating, speech concerns, or care before & after a tongue-tie release.
Different symptoms. Often the same root cause —
and that's the part we can retrain.
Think of it as physical therapy for your mouth. It uses gentle, targeted exercises to correct orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) — patterns of improper muscle function that affect breathing, chewing, swallowing, facial growth, and speech.
When the tongue rests low, the lips stay open, or breathing happens through the mouth, it quietly affects everything downstream — how you sleep, how teeth line up, how the jaw feels, even how a child's face grows. It's a real, evidence-informed therapy used alongside dentists, orthodontists, ENTs, and sleep physicians.
And nasal breathing isn't just a habit — it's chemistry. Breathing through your nose releases nitric oxide, filters and warms the air, and improves oxygen delivery to every cell. Mouth breathing bypasses all of it.
Therapy is simple: exercises done at home, 5 minutes, twice a day, until the new pattern becomes automatic. No appliances, no surgery. Just retraining.
in your palate — resting up on the roof of the mouth, its natural home, guiding healthy growth.
almost together — jaw relaxed, not clenched, not hanging open.
closed gently — a soft lip seal at rest, day and night.
through your nose — all day, all night, the way your airway was built to work.
Why where your tongue rests — and how you breathe — matters more than you'd think.
of force is all it takes to move a tooth
of force your tongue can exert — 250× more than needed
average AHI reduction with myofunctional therapy in children*
average AHI reduction with myofunctional therapy in adults*
*AHI = Apnea-Hypopnea Index, a measure of sleep-disordered breathing severity. Individual results vary; therapy is an adjunct to medical sleep care.
Kristina Hanson, RDH, OMT — registered dental hygienist and orofacial myofunctional therapist, providing therapy for all ages.
"I love caring for patients on their journey to better health and breathing! With a focus on correct breathing and tongue posture, we work together to address the underlying muscular imbalances that impact facial development and sleep quality."
Programs are built around simple home exercises — just 5 minutes, twice a day — with regular check-ins to keep you on track until healthy patterns stick.
Myofunctional habits show up differently at different ages — so therapy should too.
Wondering if your child needs an evaluation? Check what sounds familiar:
You'll know exactly what the program involves, how long it takes, and what it costs — before you ever commit to anything.
A 15-minute chat about what you're seeing. We'll tell you honestly whether myofunctional therapy is a fit — and if it isn't, we'll point you to who can help.
A full assessment of breathing, tongue posture, swallowing, and oral habits, with photos and measurements — so we have a clear baseline and a clear plan.
Regular sessions (in person or virtual) with simple home exercises between them — just 5 minutes, twice a day. Most programs run several months, because habits take repetition.
We taper sessions as new patterns become automatic, then re-check to make sure results hold — for good.
Myofunctional therapy is typically a cash-pay program lasting several months — because we're retraining habits, not writing prescriptions. We'll walk you through the full program structure and investment on your discovery call, with zero pressure, so there are no surprises later. A superbill can be provided for you to submit to insurance or HSA/FSA where applicable.
You've seen it: the beautiful orthodontic result that relapses, the tongue-tie release that reattaches, the sleep patient whose habits fight the appliance. Orofacial myofunctional therapy addresses the muscle patterns working against your treatment.
We coordinate care, keep you in the loop with progress updates, and send patients back to you on schedule.
We work alongside local providers to get shared patients lasting results:
Referring is simple — send us a name, or have your patient mention your office when they book. We'll take it from there.
Refer a Patient →Seeing any of these chairside? It's time to consider a myofunctional referral.
Often habit or chronic congestion, and may accompany tongue tie or enlarged tonsils/adenoids. Leads to dry mouth, bad breath, gum disease, and increased cavity risk.
The tongue pushes forward during swallowing, often causing an open bite. Orthodontic treatment is more successful when tongue function is corrected first.
A narrow, vaulted palate suggests the tongue isn't resting where it should to guide growth — often alongside malocclusions and crowding.
Grinding can be a compensatory airway mechanism — clenching brings the mandible, and therefore the tongue, forward to protect the airway.
Impacts dental development and may stem from oromuscular dysfunction or airway issues. Even after stopping, it can persist as tongue thrust into adulthood.
History of jaw surgery, tonsil or adenoid removal, turbinate reduction, or other airway procedures can be linked to OMDs.
It's an exercise-based therapy — think physical therapy for the face, mouth, and tongue — that's been practiced for decades alongside dentistry, orthodontics, ENT, and sleep medicine. By restoring nasal breathing, proper tongue posture, and a correct swallow, it addresses the root cause behind a whole family of symptoms. Research backs its role in everything from tongue-thrust correction to sleep-disordered breathing — studies show it reduces AHI by an average of 62% in children and 50% in adults — and we are always happy to share the science behind your specific concern.
Most programs run several months — and that's actually the exciting part. You swallow 500–1,000 times a day, and every single one is a rep. Over a few months of easy 5-minute exercises twice a day, your new pattern becomes completely automatic, which means every breath and every swallow keeps working for you long after the program ends. We're not managing symptoms on a subscription; we're building a habit you keep for life.
Every case is a little different, so we'll walk you through the exact investment for your situation during your consultation — clearly and upfront, before you commit to anything. Programs are cash-pay, which keeps care flexible and personal; a superbill can be provided for insurance submission, and HSA/FSA funds can often be used. Think of it as fixing a root cause once, rather than paying to manage symptoms indefinitely.
Myofunctional therapy and orthodontics are teammates. Braces move teeth; therapy retrains the muscle forces — like a tongue thrust — that push them out of place. Remember: it takes just 2 grams of force to move a tooth, and the tongue can exert up to 600. That's why orthodontists love pairing treatment with therapy: correct the muscle pattern and the beautiful result actually holds with the proper tongue posture. We connect directly with your orthodontist.
This is one of the areas where myofunctional therapy shines. Strengthening the tongue and airway muscles helps keep the airway open at night, and research shows meaningful reductions in snoring and AHI for both children and adults. For diagnosed sleep apnea, therapy works beautifully alongside your sleep physician's care — CPAP, oral appliances, or post-surgical support — as part of a complete airway health team.
Yes. Myofunctional therapy translates remarkably well to telehealth — exercises are demonstrated, coached, and checked over video. Many patients do their evaluation in person and their program virtually, and some do the entire program from home.
Generally ages 4 and up, through adults of any age — it is never too late to retrain a muscle habit. For infants and toddlers with feeding or tie concerns, we can point you to the right providers and support the aftercare stage when they're ready.
Reach out for a free discovery conversation. Tell Kristina what you're seeing, ask anything, and get an honest answer about whether myofunctional therapy is the right fit — no cost, no pressure.
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