The constant interruptions in your breathing can leave you feeling exhausted and irritable the next day. At Texas Dental Sleep Services, our providers and their teams are dedicated to helping patients improve their sleep and overall health.
With an emphasis on continuous training and education in dental sleep medicine, our providers have seen firsthand the benefits of myofunctional therapy , a type of therapy that focuses on strengthening the muscles in the mouth and throat. These exercises are best practice even if using a CPAP or oral device. Performing these exercises can also help with secondary symptoms, such as headaches, heartburn, and TMJ pain. By strengthening these and surrounding muscles, you can help defend against this collapse in the airway.
Myofunctional therapy is a collection of exercises that focus on the oropharynx. The oropharynx is a specific part of the throat that lies between the soft palate and the hyoid bone. It includes the side and back walls of the throat, as well as the back third of your tongue. There are no risks, and the improvement from consistent myofunctional therapy can drastically alleviate symptoms from moderate to mild sleep apnea.
By consistently doing these exercises, you may experience a significant reduction in the severity of your sleep apnea or snoring symptoms. We suggest performing mouth and throat exercises for at least 10 minutes a day for three months , ideally two to three times a day, for maximum effectiveness.
Just like other exercises, it takes time to build your muscles and see improvements. The good news is that myofunctional therapy exercises are simple and easy to perform almost anywhere, so you can easily fit them into your daily routine. And the benefits are worth it, as improved sleep quality can have a positive impact on your overall health and well-being. Instead, this exercise involves opening your mouth as wide as possible, as if you were impersonating a roaring tiger, and subsequently sticking your tongue out past your teeth.
