What Is Orofacial Myology? (And Why It Matters for Children in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs)

Orofacial myology — also known as myofunctional therapy — is a specialised area of therapy that helps the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw work the way they’re meant to. If that sounds technical, think of it as “physiotherapy for the mouth.”

What does it actually help with?

Orofacial myology focuses on correcting oral muscle habits such as:

• Tongue thrust (tongue pushing forward during swallowing or speech)
  
• Thumb/finger sucking
  
• Extended dummy/pacifier use
  
• Open-mouth breathing
  
• Low tongue posture
  
• Weak lip closure
  
• Oral habits that affect teeth and jaw growth
  

For example, some children swallow by pushing their tongue forward between their teeth. This can lead to:

• speech sound distortions (like a lisp)
• dental issues (open bite, protruding teeth)
• inefficient chewing or swallowing
• mouth breathing instead of nasal breathing

How does the therapy work?

Myofunctional therapists use simple, child-friendly exercises to retrain the face and mouth muscles.
Typical goals include:

• teaching the tongue to rest on the palate (roof of the mouth)
  
• strengthening the lips and cheeks
  
• improving nasal breathing
  
• eliminating habits like thumb sucking
  
• learning a correct swallow pattern
  

Kids love these exercises — many feel like “silly face games,” tongue clicks, bubble blowing, fish faces, or blowing cotton balls through a straw.

Who delivers this therapy?

Specially trained speech pathologists or myofunctional therapists.
Many families are referred by dentists, orthodontists, paediatricians, or ENTs.

Is it worth it?

Yes — because it treats the root cause, not just the symptoms.
Orofacial myology supports better:

• speech clarity
• facial growth
• dental alignment
• breathing habits
• long-term orthodontic outcomes

Research shows that oral muscle function—such as tongue posture, lip seal, and nasal breathing—has a strong influence on speech clarity, dental development, facial growth, and orthodontic stability. Myofunctional therapy targets these muscle patterns, which is why it can improve speech, support healthier facial and dental growth, and reduce the risk of orthodontic relapse.

For families in multicultural areas like Blackburn, Box Hill, Doncaster, this therapy is especially helpful because many children show signs of oral habits early on.

Need support?

Our clinic offers gentle, child-centred orofacial myology sessions with bilingual support (English, Cantonese, Mandarin).
Book an assessment
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Guedes-Pinto, A. C., et al. (2020). Effectiveness of myofunctional therapy in improving nasal breathing in children: A systematic review. International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology, 134, 110080.

Villa, M. P., Evangelisti, M., Martella, S., Barreto, M., Del Pozzo, M., & Ronci, M. (2015). Can myofunctional therapy improve sleep-disordered breathing in children? Sleep and Breathing, 19, 509–516. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-014-1050-1

Ishikawa, Y., Yamada, Y., Kawaguchi, T., & Tamatsu, Y. (2019). Relationship between lip-closing force and resting breathing patterns in children. Clinical Oral Investigations, 23(1), 133–140.

Mason, R. M. (2011). A retrospective and prospective view of orofacial myology. International Journal of Orofacial Myology, 37, 5–28.

Souki, B. Q., Lopes, P. B., Trezza, P. M., & Pereira, T. B. (2009). Mouth breathing and facial morphology: A cephalometric study of children. Journal of Pediatrics, 85(2), 123–129.