It’s not fair, and it’s not your fault!
It’s not your fault that you have a tongue thrust, and that it’s getting in the way of or delaying your orthodontic progress!
It’s not your fault that you clench your teeth and snore at night, leaving you with headaches and annoyed bed partner!
It’s not your child’s fault that they are addicted to their pacifier, sippy cup, thumb sucking, nail biting, hair sucking, toe sucking, etc. (you name it- we’ve seen it all)!
It’s not your child’s fault that they’re the pickiest eater in the family! (Or of all time.)
These challenges are no one’s fault, and you’re not alone!
These things happen because your body is smart. You, or your child, figured out how to breathe, chew, swallow, and soothe in the best ways you could.
Unfortunately, orofacial myofunctional disorders are becoming more and more common, and they can be tricky to tackle!
So just…stop!
If only it were that easy…
You’re being asked to accomplish what seems impossible:
Change unconscious habits.
If you can stop thrusting your tongue when you swallow, you can get going with your orthodontic plan and it won’t be messed up by your tongue movement in the future. So, just keep your tongue up when you swallow, ok?
If you can stop clenching and snoring at night, you can protect your teeth and possibly avoid high blood pressure in the long run! So, get to work on that!
Just go cold turkey and get rid of the pacifier! Or, just wait out your furious picky eater- they’ll eat when they’re hungry enough. Like that has ever gone well…
The problem is, you, or your child, are engaging in these behaviors for a REASON.
Unfortunately, you really can’t just… get rid of habits like these. You need to know why they’re happening, and then replace them with something better.
We’ve got you.
If you’ve got a tongue thrust, you might have a tongue tie, a small palate, or poor oral motor skills and/or awareness. We’ll help you gain awareness and control of your lips, jaw, and tongue, as well as replace tongue thrust with correct tongue movements. (And refer you to other professionals if you need help with a tongue tie or small palate!)
If you’re snoring, clenching, grinding, etc. at night, you might be dealing with a tongue tie and small palate like our tongue thrusting friends, but you might also be dealing with nose breathing difficulties, low oral muscle tone, incorrect oral resting posture, etc. We can help you improve in all these areas, and of course refer you to other professionals that can help you get the best sleep possible. We want you healthy in the long run!
(And just so you know… orofacial myofunctional therapy can improve symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea by around 50%! Sometimes that’s the difference between needing a CPAP and not!)
If your child is an extremely picky eater, and/or is struggling to kick an oral habit like thumb sucking to the curb, they might have a tongue tie, poor muscle tone, difficulty breathing through their nose, or sensory processing challenges just to name a few variables. They might also be protecting their airway! We can help you figure out which variables are impacting your child the most as well as how to move forward.
You’ve got this!
You’re about to learn so much about your body, why it does what it does, and how to change.
It takes time, and you need guidance- as well as an accountability partner (that’s where we come in), but on the other side, you’ll understand your body so much more: Why it was doing what it was doing, what to do about it, and how to make those new habits stick.
Let’s do this! Call (818) 217-1642 today for a free 15-minute online consultation.