Restore breathing, oral function, and muscle balance—naturally.
Myofunctional therapy helps address the causes of snoring, jaw pain, mouth breathing, and poor oral posture—without surgery or medication.
At Breathe First, we offer Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)—a non-invasive therapy that retrains the muscles of the face, mouth, and airway to improve how they function and coordinate. By correcting poor oral habits and building new muscle memory, we help children and adults breathe more easily, swallow more efficiently, and support proper jaw development.
Myofunctional therapy focuses on the proper function of the muscles of the mouth, face, and airway. These muscles play a key role in breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speech.
When these functions are disrupted, it can lead to a range of issues, including:
Through targeted exercises and gentle retraining, myofunctional therapy helps these muscles work more efficiently—supporting healthier breathing, better oral function, and long-term wellness.
Myofunctional therapy addresses a wide range of oral and facial muscle dysfunctions that can impact breathing, swallowing, speech, dental alignment, and facial development. These issues often stem from improper oral habits developed early in life, or from compensation due to structural or airway-related challenges.
By restoring proper muscle function and coordination, therapy helps correct the causes—not just the symptoms—of many common problems seen in both children and adults.
Myofunctional therapy is a gentle, step-by-step approach that helps retrain the muscles of the face, mouth, and tongue to work the way they’re meant to. The process is personalised to your (or your child’s) specific needs—whether that’s improving breathing, correcting tongue posture, reducing jaw pain, or supporting clearer speech and easier swallowing.
Therapy is guided by detailed assessment and built around simple daily exercises. Over time, these movements help build new muscle habits, leading to long-term improvements in health, comfort, and function. Most people begin to notice changes within the first few weeks, with full progress typically seen over a few months.
What to Expect
Your therapy journey begins with a face-to-face assessment. We’ll take time to understand your history, observe how your facial muscles are working, and assess your breathing, swallowing, and oral posture. Photos and functional measurements help us create a clear starting point.
Myofunctional therapy supports a wide range of individuals—from young children developing foundational habits, to adults seeking long-term relief from chronic issues. By retraining the muscles involved in breathing, swallowing, and oral posture, therapy can lead to meaningful improvements in both daily function and long-term health.
Myofunctional therapy is suitable for:
Children
Especially those who struggle with mouth breathing, thumb-sucking, speech delays, tongue thrust, or poor feeding habits. Early intervention can support healthy jaw development, clearer speech, and easier breathing—often reducing the need for more complex treatments later.
Adults
Those experiencing TMJD, fatigue, poor sleep, mouth breathing, or post-orthodontic relapse. Therapy can relieve muscle tension, reduce snoring, and support better breathing patterns—improving energy and comfort throughout the day.
Teenagers in orthodontic care
Myofunctional therapy can improve stability and outcomes before, during, and after braces by correcting tongue posture, swallowing patterns, and lip seal—helping to protect your investment in orthodontics.
Neurodivergent children
Children with sensory processing challenges, autism, ADHD, or developmental delays often benefit from structured, sensory-informed therapy that supports regulation, focus, and better oral-motor function.
Singers, athletes, and public speakers
Those looking to improve breath control, jaw stability, and facial muscle awareness for performance, endurance, and clarity in speech or singing.
🡒 Explore: Myofunctional therapy for singers | Therapy for athletes | How myofunctional therapy can help with TMJD and Jaw Pain | How mouth breathing impacts sleep, behaviour, and learning in children
By restoring healthy muscle function and correcting oral habits, myofunctional therapy can lead to measurable improvements in everyday comfort, health, and wellbeing.
Whether you’re seeking relief from jaw pain, supporting your child’s development, or hoping to sleep better—therapy focuses on long-term, sustainable outcomes.
Key outcomes of therapy include:
Improved Breathing
Transition from mouth to nasal breathing, supporting better oxygen uptake, immune health, and nervous system regulation.
Enhanced Sleep Quality
Reduce snoring, mouth breathing, and the symptoms of sleep apnoea by improving tongue posture and airway muscle tone.
Oral Health Support
Improve conditions like teeth grinding, gum recession, dry mouth, or bad breath by optimising jaw alignment and tongue resting position.
Speech Clarity
Build proper muscle coordination and tongue mobility to support clearer articulation and more confident communication.
Facial Growth and Muscle Balance
In children, guide proper facial and jaw development. In adults, balance facial muscles to reduce tension and promote long-term stability after orthodontic treatment.
At Breathe First, we take a personalised, holistic approach to myofunctional therapy—focused on lasting change through supportive, evidence-informed therapy. From your first consultation to your final check-in, we tailor everything to your needs, goals, and lifestyle.
Understanding Your Goals
We start with a conversation about what brings you to therapy—whether it’s snoring, mouth breathing, jaw tension, fatigue, or speech challenges.
This is your time to share your experiences so we can understand your goals and daily challenges.
Detailed Functional Evaluation
Your therapist will assess breathing patterns, oral posture, tongue mobility, muscle tone, swallowing function, and any compensations you may have developed.
Tailored Therapy Plan
Using what we learn in your evaluation, we create a structured therapy plan focused on improving function and comfort. Your plan becomes the foundation for your ongoing therapy journey.
Targeted, Step-by-Step Exercises
Each session includes guided exercises to strengthen and coordinate the muscles of the face, mouth, and airway.
These may include:
Tongue placement and resting posture
Nasal breathing re-education
Lip seal and jaw strengthening
Swallowing coordination
Gentle, Progressive Approach
Exercises are adapted gradually to match your pace—building confidence, awareness, and long-term consistency without strain or overwhelm.
Want to understand more before getting started? Explore our latest articles to see how myofunctional therapy works, what the evidence shows, and how it can support both children and adults with real-life challenges—from snoring and speech to jaw development and breathing.
