Level 17, 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Level 17, 111 Elizabeth Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Airway & Sleep · Children's Dentistry
Myofunctional therapy is a structured exercise program for the muscles of the tongue, lips and face, retraining resting posture, swallowing and nasal breathing. In growing children it is frequently paired with Myobrace, a series of soft removable appliances worn briefly during the day and while sleeping, which guide the tongue into its correct home and encourage the jaws to develop the way nature intended.
Child with Myobrace appliance image
Together they treat the causes of crowded teeth and open-mouth habits rather than waiting to straighten the consequences, and in the right cases they reduce the need for extractions and complex orthodontics later.
The idea in one paragraph
The tongue pushes gently outward from the palate; lips and cheeks press gently inward; swallowing fires the whole system a thousand times a day. When that balance is right, arches develop wide and teeth erupt into space. When the tongue sits low, the lips hang apart and the swallow pattern is wrong, arches narrow and teeth crowd, and no appliance that ignores the muscles will hold its result for long, which is why orthodontic relapse is so common. Myofunctional therapy fixes the balance; the teeth follow, and stay.
Who benefits
How the program works at SHDC
Step 1
Tongue posture and mobility, swallow pattern, breathing route, palate and arch development, habits, and ENT referral where the nose is blocked.
Step 2
Myobrace appliances progress through stages (habit correction, arch development, alignment) matched to your child's development.
Step 3
A short set practised every day as prescribed, plus appliance wear for about an hour in the day and overnight.
Step 4
Regular short visits track progress, adjust stages and keep motivation alive; parental involvement is honestly a success factor, and we say so upfront.
Step 5
Typically 12 to 24 months depending on age, compliance and the starting point, reviewed against milestones rather than promises.
"The appliance is a coach, not a magician; the exercises are where the change happens. The families who treat the daily routine like brushing teeth get results that genuinely change how a face grows."
DR YIN YIN TEOH — PRINCIPAL DENTIST
Image of
Yin Yin
Honest expectations
Myofunctional treatment is prevention and cause-correction, supported by a growing evidence base including systematic-review support for the mouth-breathing and facial-development link (Zhao et al., 2021). It rewards compliance and punishes its absence, results vary with age and biology, and some children will still need conventional orthodontics afterwards, usually less than they otherwise would have. We measure and photograph progress so decisions rest on evidence rather than enthusiasm, and we tell you honestly at review if the plan should change.
Common questions
Different jobs. Myobrace guides growth and habits in a developing child; braces and aligners move teeth, usually later. Many children who start early need less of the second job; the assessment tells us which path fits your child.
Assessment from age three; the strongest window for growth guidance is roughly five to twelve. Muscle habits can be retrained at any age; jaw growth guidance cannot, which is why timing matters.
A short daily exercise routine plus appliance wear for about an hour in the day and overnight. It fits around school and sport; it does not fit around being forgotten.
No. Appliances are soft and removable; the exercises are gentle. The challenge is consistency, not discomfort.
Many funds rebate under orthodontic or major dental categories depending on cover; we provide item numbers and written quotes.
The right time to assess is before the window closes. Book a myofunctional assessment at SHDC.
Yin Yin
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Dr Yin Yin Teoh
Principal Dentist — Airway & Sleep, Children's Dentistry
Dr Yin Yin Teoh leads the airway and children's dentistry programme at Sydney Holistic Dental Centre, with a focus on early intervention, myofunctional therapy and Myobrace treatment.
