Mouth Muscles Matter: What Every Parent Needs to Know About Myofunctional Therapy
- The Nourished Queens
- Sep 29
- 3 min read
Brought to You by Nourished Knights & Homegrown Pediatric Dentistry
At Nourished Knights, we’re always looking for the root causes behind the challenges many children face—whether it’s crowded teeth, poor sleep, picky eating, or behavioral issues. One major contributor that often flies under the radar is how a child uses their mouth muscles. That’s why we’ve partnered with Homegrown Pediatric Dentistry to offer myofunctional therapy, a powerful and gentle tool that helps support proper jaw, tongue, and facial development.
What Is Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is like physical therapy—but for the face, jaw, and mouth. It uses simple, repetitive exercises to retrain how your child breathes, swallows, speaks, and rests their tongue. This might sound small, but these functions shape the growth of their jaw, airway, and even their behavior and sleep quality.
What Does It Help With?
This therapy targets something called orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs)—which often show up in children as:
Mouth breathing
Snoring or noisy breathing during sleep
Tongue thrust or low tongue posture
Speech delays or articulation issues
Food falling out of the mouth, messy or slow eating
Picky eating or difficulty chewing and swallowing
Crowded teeth or early orthodontic needs
Poor sleep, behavioral challenges, or attention issues
Thumb sucking or extended pacifier use
Forward head posture
Many of these symptoms are connected to underdeveloped jaw muscles and poor tongue posture, and correcting the root cause can lead to life-changing improvements.
Why Is It Important?
How a child uses their tongue and mouth from an early age impacts the shape of their face and the size of their airway—which in turn affects their breathing, sleep, speech, and even brain development. When the tongue is resting low or the child mouth breathes, it can:
Narrow the jaw and dental arch
Cause crooked teeth
Restrict the airway
Lead to sleep-disordered breathing
Affect oxygen supply to the brain
Contribute to behavior and focus challenges
That’s why jaw strength and nasal breathing matter so much—especially during these critical growing years.
What Age Should a Child Start?
Children as young as 3 or 4 years old can benefit from myofunctional therapy—especially if they’re showing signs of speech delays, mouth breathing, or chronic congestion. Most kids begin around ages 4 to 5, when they can follow directions and engage with basic exercises. Teens and even adults can benefit, too.
There’s no perfect age to begin—but earlier intervention usually leads to better long-term outcomes.
Signs Myofunctional Therapy May Help Your Child:
Snores or breathes through mouth while sleeping
Struggles with speech or articulation
Has difficulty chewing or swallows food whole
Regularly wakes tired or has poor-quality sleep
Experiences frequent congestion or allergies
Has a tongue tie (even if already released)
Shows behavior issues or hyperactivity
Grinds teeth at night
Has crooked teeth or forward head posture
Even just one or two signs may be enough to consider an evaluation.
How Long Does It Take?
The average myofunctional therapy program lasts 3 to 12 months, depending on the child’s age and specific needs. Many families begin to notice improvements in just a few weeks—especially in sleep, breathing, and eating habits. More noticeable changes, like better jaw growth or speech clarity, often come with consistent practice over time.
Our Partnership: Nourished Knights + Homegrown Pediatric Dentistry
We’re proud to bring you myofunctional therapy through our trusted partners at Homegrown Pediatric Dentistry, combining expert dental care with whole-child wellness support.
Together, we offer:
Individualized therapy plans for each child
Education and support for tongue tie releases
Nutritional guidance to support oral and airway growth
Tools and encouragement for daily muscle-building habits
A team approach—because it takes a village to raise strong kids
Our focus is on building a strong foundation for lifelong health—starting with how your child breathes, eats, and sleeps.
Ready to Learn More?
We invite you to reach out for a myofunctional evaluation or ask questions about your child’s symptoms. Together, we’ll help you understand whether this gentle therapy could benefit your child—and support you every step of the way.
At Nourished Knights, we believe your child was made to thrive. Let’s give them the strong foundation they need—starting with the muscles that matter most.
Schedule a consult today and take the first step toward better breathing, sleep, and development.
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