When to See a Myofunctional Therapist, an Orthodontist, or Both: A Parent’s Guide

By Your Health Magazine Contributor

Your Health Magazine Contributor

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When to See a Myofunctional Therapist, an Orthodontist, or Both: A Parent’s Guide

Many parents first hear the term “myofunctional therapy” from a dentist, an orthodontist, or another parent, and understandably wonder how it differs from the orthodontic care they already know. Both fields work around the same small area of the body, the mouth, jaw, and face, yet they do quite different jobs. Knowing which professional addresses which concern, and when the two work best together, can save families time, money, and a good deal of worry.

This guide explains what each professional does, the signs that point towards one or the other, and the situations where seeing both gives a child the best outcome.

What an orthodontist does

An orthodontist is a dental specialist who focuses on the alignment of the teeth and jaws. After several years of additional training beyond dental school, they diagnose and treat malocclusions, which are irregularities in the way the upper and lower teeth meet. Their tools are largely mechanical: braces, clear aligners, expanders, and retainers that apply gentle, sustained force to move teeth into a healthier position and to guide jaw growth in a developing child.

Orthodontics is very good at what it does. It straightens crowded teeth, closes gaps, improves overbites and underbites, and refines the bite so that chewing and long-term dental health are supported. What orthodontic appliances do not do, on their own, is change the muscle habits that may have contributed to the problem in the first place.

What a myofunctional therapist does

A myofunctional therapist addresses the muscles and functions of the face and mouth rather than the position of the teeth. The field is properly called orofacial myofunctional therapy, and it uses a programme of exercises and gentle habit retraining to improve how the tongue, lips, and jaw rest and move.

The central concerns are tongue resting posture, lip seal, nasal breathing, chewing, and swallowing patterns. When any of these develop atypically, the pattern is described as an orofacial myofunctional disorder, or OMD. Common examples include a tongue that rests low or pushes forward against the teeth when swallowing (often called a tongue thrust), habitual mouth breathing, and lingering habits such as thumb or finger sucking or prolonged dummy or pacifier use.

Where the two overlap

The reason these two professions are so often discussed together is that muscle function and tooth position influence one another. The tongue is a powerful muscle. If it rests against or between the teeth for many hours a day, it exerts a light but constant pressure that can nudge teeth out of alignment or work against the results an orthodontist has achieved. Mouth breathing, in turn, is associated with changes in the way the face and jaws develop across childhood.

This is why an orthodontist may straighten a child’s teeth beautifully, only for the alignment to relapse if the underlying muscle habit was never addressed. It is also why a growing number of dental and orthodontic professionals now refer families for a myofunctional assessment either before, during, or after orthodontic treatment.

Signs that point towards a myofunctional therapist

Consider an assessment with a myofunctional therapist if a child shows one or more of the following:

• Habitual mouth breathing, or resting with the lips apart during the day or in sleep
• A tongue that sits low in the mouth or pushes forward against the teeth when swallowing or speaking
• Ongoing thumb, finger, or dummy use beyond the toddler years
• Difficulty with certain speech sounds, particularly those made with the tongue towards the front of the mouth
• Messy or effortful eating, fussy eating, or difficulty managing certain food textures
• Snoring, restless sleep, or noisy breathing at night, which always warrants medical review as well

These signs do not mean something is wrong with a child. They simply indicate that the muscles of the mouth and face may not be working in the most comfortable, efficient way, and that supportive retraining could help. Because these functions are connected, this work often sits alongside oral placement and feeding therapy and, where speech sounds are affected, speech and language therapy, so that eating, speaking, and breathing are supported together rather than in isolation.

Signs that point towards an orthodontist

Consider an orthodontic assessment if a child shows:

• Crowded, crooked, or noticeably gappy teeth as the permanent teeth come through
• An overbite, underbite, or crossbite
• Teeth that do not meet properly when the mouth is closed
• Upper and lower jaws that appear out of proportion with one another
• Difficulty chewing that seems related to how the teeth line up

Most orthodontists recommend an initial check by around the age of seven, when enough permanent teeth have arrived to reveal how the bite is developing, even if any treatment itself begins later.

When a child benefits from both

Some of the most durable results come from the two working together. A helpful way to picture it: the orthodontist moves the teeth, and the myofunctional therapist trains the surrounding muscles so the mouth can hold that new position and keep it. If the tongue continues to thrust forward or the child continues to breathe through the mouth, the muscle forces may gradually undo the orthodontic work. Address the muscle pattern, and the alignment is far more likely to last.

Timing and sequence matter, and they are decided case by case. In some children, myofunctional therapy comes first, to help establish nasal breathing and a healthy tongue rest posture before appliances are fitted. In others, the two run in parallel, or myofunctional therapy follows orthodontics to protect the result. There is no single correct order, which is exactly why open collaboration between the professionals is so valuable.

Tongue-tie is a good example of where the fields meet. A restricted tongue can limit the tongue’s ability to reach its natural resting place on the roof of the mouth. Where a release procedure is being considered, myofunctional therapy before and after can help the child learn to use the newly freed tongue well, so the benefit is not lost.

Why the early years matter

Childhood is a period of rapid facial and dental growth, which makes it a productive window for gentle, function-focused support. Guiding tongue posture and breathing while the face is still developing can reduce the likelihood of more involved treatment later. That said, myofunctional therapy is not only for young children. Older children, teenagers, and adults can all benefit, since the muscles of the mouth and face remain trainable throughout life.

Whatever the age, good therapy is collaborative and led at the child’s pace. Exercises are practised with the child’s understanding and willing participation rather than imposed, and progress is built gently over time. A child who feels comfortable and genuinely involved engages far more readily than one who feels pushed, and that engagement is what makes the new habits stick.

Making the decision

If you are unsure where to begin, a sensible first step is an assessment with whichever professional matches your most pressing concern. If the concern is the appearance or bite of the teeth, start with an orthodontist. If it is breathing, tongue posture, feeding, or speech, start with a myofunctional therapist. A good clinician in either field will tell you honestly whether the other is needed, and will happily coordinate with them.

For families in Dubai, the practical advantage of a multidisciplinary paediatric clinic is that assessment across several related areas can happen under one roof, with the therapists sharing notes and working to a single plan. That coordination removes much of the guesswork for parents and helps ensure that speech, feeding, breathing, and dental alignment are considered together.

The goal, in the end, is not simply straighter teeth. It is a child who can breathe comfortably through the nose, eat and speak with ease, and carry those healthy patterns into adulthood.

This article was contributed by the clinical team at ABLE UK, a paediatric therapy clinic in Dubai with UK clinical heritage, established locally since 2014 and licensed by the DHA and DHCC. The clinic offers orofacial myofunctional therapy alongside speech and language, occupational, feeding, and oral placement therapy across its Dubai Healthcare City and JLT locations.