Cecilia Hickam
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
The Critical Missing Link to Complete Patient Care

The interdisciplinary approach to patient wellness is important because the teeth, the bones and the muscles must work in harmony to attain occlusal stability. Myofunctional therapy, also called orofacial myofunctional therapy, is the neuro-muscular re-education or re-patterning of the oral and facial muscles. It includes muscle exercises, which create a normal freeway space dimension. Therapists are trained to eliminate negative oral habits through behavior modification techniques and promote positive growth patterns. We train people to breathe through their noses if their airways are not compromised. If the oral breathing is an acquired habit; we teach people how to properly position their tongue at rest. We teach how to chew and swallow correctly. We emphasize the importance of proper head and neck posture patterns.

The goals are:

• Promoting a lip seal.
• Promoting a palatal tongue rest position
• Promoting a posterior, tooth together swallow
• Facilitating bi-lateral chewing and correct drinking
• hands and objectives away from the face
• nasal breathing
• Developing a harmonious peri-oral muscle pattern
• dysfunctional habit patterns

The rewards are:

• Many children, teenagers and even adults have retrained and corrected poor swallowing habits.
• With consistent commitment and support of exercise every day, which is painless and relatively simple, certain muscles are activated and functioning properly, gaining coordination of the tongue and facial muscles.
• A person can regain the joy of eating, speaking and enjoy cosmetic improvements, helping restore confidence and self-esteem.

The body is a marvelous and complex structure made up of tissue, muscles, bones, and chemicals, which all need to work together in harmony. Through Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, which is the critical missing link to complete patient care, a better quality of life can be attained.

Check out this website www.FunctionalTongue.com for more information.
Email me at:  [email protected]
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A self help Buteyko Breathing course is available on DVD. The Buteyko DVD is the complete instruction as presented by Buteyko instructor and author Patrick McKeown. During the two hour DVD, Patrick instructs five adults and two children how to sucessfully apply the Buteyko Breathing Therapy.

The DVD Buteyko set includes 2 hour DVD, a detailed training book, CD and follow up support. The total cost of Buteyko DVD which includes shipping to anywhere in the USD or Canada is 50 US dollars. For further information including some free video segments is available from www.ButeykoDVD.com