What Is Myofunctional Therapy — And Do I Need It?
A San Antonio Dental Hygienist’s Perspective
Have you ever noticed your tongue resting on the bottom of your mouth? Do you—or your child—snore, mouth breathe, or clench your teeth without knowing why?
If so, myofunctional therapy might be the missing link you didn’t even know existed.
🧠 So... What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is like physical therapy for your face, tongue, and airway. It helps retrain the muscles responsible for breathing, chewing, swallowing, speaking, and resting posture. When these muscles aren’t functioning properly, it can lead to issues like:
Crowded teeth or orthodontic relapse
Tongue thrust
Snoring and sleep apnea
Jaw pain and tension headaches
Difficulty with breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or transitioning to solids (in infants/children)
Chronic mouth breathing and allergies
As a registered dental hygienist who’s worked alongside top dentists and orthodontists in San Antonio, I’ve seen firsthand how often these issues are overlooked — and how transformative therapy can be once we address the root cause.
👶 Who Can Benefit from It?
Children who struggle with mouth breathing, speech issues, or need braces
Teens in braces or retention who want better long-term results
Adults dealing with jaw tension, clenching, snoring, or sleep apnea
Anyone recovering from a tongue tie release (frenectomy) who needs muscle retraining
Think of myofunctional therapy like having a guide — a "Dental Doula" — helping you understand how your tongue, lips, and breath shape your health from the inside out.
🔍 Real Talk: What’s It Like to Work with Me?
At Myofunctional Mastery, I take a hands-on, personalized approach to therapy. This isn’t a set of exercises printed from Google. Every plan I create is built for the individual — whether I’m helping a five-year-old with a tongue thrust or supporting an adult post-frenectomy.
And because of my background as a dental hygienist, I understand how to coordinate closely with your orthodontist, dentist, or ENT to make sure we’re all working toward the same goal — better health, better function, and long-lasting results.
🌿 What Happens in a Session?
Each session includes:
Muscle exercises (don’t worry, they’re gentle!)
Breathing and posture work
Habits coaching
Progress check-ins
Coordination with your provider team when needed
Most clients begin with a free consultation to determine if myofunctional therapy is right for them. From there, we create a customized plan based on your goals and challenges.
💡 Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever felt like something’s just off with how your mouth functions — or if you’ve dealt with endless rounds of braces, snoring, jaw pain, or mouth breathing — it might be time to try a different approach.
Myofunctional therapy is gentle, effective, and rooted in the idea that when our muscles work the way they’re meant to, everything else falls into place — literally.
📍 Local and Looking for Help?
I serve patients throughout San Antonio and surrounding areas, offering both in-person and virtual sessions. I also work closely with orthodontists, ENTs, and dentists to support your treatment plan holistically.
👉 Schedule your free 15-minute evaluation today and let’s talk about how myofunctional therapy might change your life.