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During a dental appointment, your dentist will examine your child's teeth. He or she will look for signs of decay and cavities. Your dentist will also examine your child's mouth for any disorders that could be making it difficult for your child to swallow, speak, or perform other ordinary functions. One of the more common issues that children suffer from is related to myofunctional disorders. If this is the case, your dentist can help your child complete myofunctional therapy in Lone Tree, CO, to overcome the disorder to strengthen your child's lips, tongue, jaw, and other parts of his or her mouth. Here are a few things that you should know about the disorder and treatment. Causes There are a wide range of things that can cause issues that would lead to myofunctional disorders. Some of the causes are things that your child may have dealt with since birth. For other causes, your child may have developed bad habits over time. Some of the causes include allergies, enlarged tonsils, enlarged adenoids, prolonged pacifier use, prolonged thumb or tongue sucking, or incorrect positioning of the tongue while chewing or swallowing. Signs Maybe you don't notice any issues, but there are signs that you can watch for with your child. For example, if your child has difficulty breathing, it could be caused by improper placement of your child's tongue. Some of the other signs that you can watch for include open mouth breathing, snoring, a narrow palate, or forward tongue movement when swallowing or speaking. Another sign that your child may require myofunctional therapy is if your child gets tongue tied on a regular basis. Your dentist will want to know if you've observed any of these signs during the evaluation. Evaluation Not only will your dentist ask you about these signs, but he or she will also assess your child. Pictures and videos may be taken to watch the movement of your child's lips, cheeks, tongue, jaw, and palate. While examining these parts of your child's mouth, your dentist will evaluate the strength and movement while chewing, swallowing, or speaking. You may want to bring along food and drinks for your child to enjoy during the evaluation. You should also be prepared to answer questions about your child's habits and behaviors during meal times. Are there certain foods that your child won't eat? Is your child nervous about eating around other people? Think about other unusual behaviors. Treatment When it comes to the treatment, your child will go through a number of exercises that should be done every day to strengthen the various parts of their mouth, especially the tongue. For example, your child will be asked to hold their tongue against the top of their mouth. They should hold this position for 5-10 seconds at a time. Repeat this movement 10 times. Your child should repeat this exercise once in the morning and again in the evening. Some of the other exercises that can be done include using your tongue to try to touch your nose, your chin, as far right outside of the mouth as possible, and as far left as possible. For each of these challenges, your child should hold his or her tongue in place for 10 seconds and then repeat the challenge 10 times. To determine whether or not your child requires myofunctional therapy in Lone Tree, CO, you should have your child evaluated by a dentist with experience with orofacial disorders. If your child has a disorder and/or could benefit from myofunctional therapy, your dentist can teach you the important exercises that need to be done to help your child strengthen his or her lips, tongue, jaw, and other parts of the mouth.
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