Most health care professionals are unaware of the negative impact of mouth breathing on normal facial growth and development as well as over all health and well being. Children whose mouth breathing goes untreated may develop long, narrow faces, narrow mouths, crooked teeth, and many other unattractive facial features.

Most of these children do not sleep well due to restricted airways. This lack of restorative REM sleep can adversely affect their growth and academic performance. These children are often misdiagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and hyperactivity.

If mouth breathing is treated early with myofunctional therapy, the negative effect on facial and dental development as well as the health and social difficulties associated with mouth breathing can be minimized or even avoided.

A reverse or tongue thrust swallow puts forward pressure on the teeth causing crowding and possibly an open bite. This is the leading of cause orthodontic failure or relapse. The dysfunctional swallow can cause stomach aches with bloating and cramping pain. A tongue thrust swallow can also leave the TMJ unsupported leading to TMJ pain and headaches. Therapy retrains a correct swallow along with a palatal rest posture for the tongue which is critical to opening the airway.

Many times TMJ pain and dysfunction are cause by imbalances and mis-use of the muscles supporting this joint. The strain on these muscles leads to inflammation, pain, joint noises and headaches. Therapy to strengthen and balance the joint correctly in its space and to eliminate harmful habits can eliminate or relieve the majority of dysfunction and pain without surgery or other invasive therapies