The Role of Myofunctional Therapy in Orthodontic Care

Anyone who’s been through braces knows they take commitment. Appointments, adjustments, elastics, retainers, remembering what you can and can’t eat… it’s a whole process. And after all that time and effort, getting to the final result feels pretty great. Naturally, once the braces come off, it’s easy to think the treatment is done and the teeth will simply stay in place. But teeth can shift after orthodontic treatment, which is why retention is so important. And while retainers help maintain the position of the teeth, there’s another side of orthodontic care that isn’t always part of the conversation: oral function. The way the tongue rests, how it moves during swallowing, how the lips come together, and how someone breathes can all play a role in how the mouth functions. These details can easily be missed when the main focus is on straightening teeth. Looking at these patterns is one of the reasons myofunctional therapy has become an important part of the conversation. Let’s take a closer look at how myofunctional therapy fits into the process, from the early stages of treatment to what comes next.

Understanding Myofunctional Therapy

Most people don’t spend much time thinking about where their tongue sits when they’re not eating or talking. The same goes for how they swallow, whether their lips stay together at rest, or whether they breathe through their nose or mouth. These patterns can feel so normal that they often go unnoticed. Myofunctional therapy takes a closer look at those everyday habits and how the tongue, lips, cheeks and jaw work together. Through assessment and targeted exercises, it aims to improve specific functional patterns when they are identified. When orthodontic treatment is moving the teeth and guiding the bite into a new position, it makes sense to consider what is happening around them too. Looking at oral function provides another way to understand how the mouth is adapting throughout the process.

Why Oral Function Matters in Orthodontics

When we think about braces, the focus naturally goes to the teeth. Are they crowded? Is the bite too deep? Are the teeth sitting where they should? But there’s a lot happening around those teeth every time the mouth is at rest, swallowing, chewing or breathing. That’s why oral function can be worth considering alongside the teeth and bite. A few things can give us useful clues:

• Tongue posture: Where the tongue rests when the mouth is relaxed can be part of a functional assessment. A low or forward tongue posture has been associated with some orthodontic findings, although the relationship is complex and does not mean one automatically causes the other.

• Swallowing: Swallowing is a coordinated movement involving the tongue and other muscles. Certain atypical swallowing patterns have been associated with specific malocclusions, including anterior open bite.

• Lip posture: Whether the lips comfortably come together at rest is another part of looking at how the mouth functions. Persistent lip incompetence can be relevant when assessing an orofacial functional pattern.

• Breathing: Persistent mouth breathing can be associated with dentofacial changes, particularly during growth. Because there can be several reasons someone breathes through their mouth, the underlying cause matters too.

None of this means that every person with braces has a functional problem. It simply means that when a functional pattern is identified, it may be worth addressing alongside the orthodontic treatment to support healthy oral function before, during and after treatment.

Before Braces: Making Oral Function Part of the Assessment

Orthodontic assessments tend to focus on the teeth, jaw and bite, so oral function isn’t routinely assessed in every case. This means patterns such as mouth breathing, an open-mouth resting posture or a different swallowing pattern may not always come up in the initial conversation, particularly when there are no obvious concerns. Imagine a child who is preparing for braces and has always slept with their mouth open, or an adult who has never really noticed that their lips stay apart when they’re relaxed. These habits can feel completely normal because they’ve been there for so long. Bringing them into the assessment before treatment can give the orthodontist additional information that may influence how the overall treatment plan is approached.

Can Myofunctional Therapy Be Part of Treatment During Braces?

Yes. Myofunctional therapy can be carried out while someone is wearing braces when an assessment has identified a reason to address oral function during that time. The two approaches are looking at different things, so one does not need to be completed before the other can begin. Think of it this way: braces are working on where the teeth are positioned, while myofunctional therapy is working on how the tongue, lips, jaw and surrounding muscles are functioning. Those changes can happen during the same period because they are not trying to accomplish the same job. For example, someone may be having their teeth repositioned while also working on a low tongue resting posture or an established swallowing pattern. The exercises and timing can be adapted around the orthodontic treatment, with the orthodontist and myofunctional therapist communicating when both are involved.

After Braces: Why Oral Function Still Matters

Getting your braces off can feel like the finish line. After months or even years of treatment, seeing the teeth finally in position is a huge milestone. But this is also when retention becomes critical, because teeth can shift once active orthodontic treatment ends. We see many patients concerned about their teeth moving again after braces, and retainer use isn’t the only thing worth considering. Persistent oral habits and functional patterns, such as a low or forward tongue resting posture or an unusual swallowing pattern, may be relevant to the stability of the result. That doesn’t mean they are the reason every case relapses, but when these patterns are present, they deserve consideration. Myofunctional therapy helps retrain the oral muscles to support better function. Addressing the patterns that may be affecting the teeth and bite can also be an important part of supporting the results of orthodontic treatment.

What If Oral Function Isn’t Addressed During Orthodontic Care?

Moving the teeth into a new position does not automatically change the muscle patterns and oral habits that have been present for years. If these patterns continue after treatment, they may continue to influence the teeth and bite, which is why oral function can be relevant when considering long-term orthodontic stability.

Possible effects on the orthodontic result may include:

• Open bite returning: Persistent tongue-thrusting or an unfavourable tongue posture can be relevant to the stability of an open-bite correction.

• Front teeth shifting: Continued pressure or altered tongue posture may be relevant to changes in the position of the incisors.

• Spacing returning: Gaps that were closed during orthodontic treatment can reopen when contributing factors remain.

• Crowding returning: Teeth can move towards their previous positions after treatment, particularly without adequate retention.

• Bite changes: Changes in tooth position can alter how the upper and lower teeth come together.

Oral function can play an important role in orthodontic stability, which is why it is worth looking beyond retainer use alone. Retainers help hold the teeth in their new positions, while addressing relevant oral function patterns can help support how the mouth functions around those teeth.

Supporting Long-Term Orthodontic Results With Myofunctional Therapy

When you’ve invested months or years into straightening your teeth, seeing them move again is understandably something you want to avoid. But long-term oral health isn’t only about what we see in the mirror. Every day, your mouth is working quietly in the background: breathing, swallowing, chewing, speaking and resting, often without you giving any of it a second thought. Those everyday functions can influence how the muscles of the mouth work together. Addressing these patterns when needed can help reduce factors that may contribute to orthodontic relapse, while also improving how the mouth functions day to day.