What is Oral facial Myofunctional Therapy? Barbara Greene, guest.

Myofunctional therapist, Barbara Greene, joins Dr. Bunny today to discuss an incredibly interesting and informative topic – Oral facial Myofunctional Therapy and tongue thrust issues.

Oral facial myofunctional therapy my not be something that you’ve ever heard of, but you have likely seen the conditions that this therapy can help (for instance, a child who has sucked their thumb, affecting the shape of the palate and more).

Having tongue thrust issues brings more than just visual symptoms, and you may be surprised to learn how many people have this issue. Tongue thrust issues result in a mouth-breathing & always being congested, orthodontic problems, speech problems, dental issues, and so much more – and many people don’t recognize it! As much as 85% of the population has a tongue thrust issue, and yet instead of dealing with the core problem (tongue thrust), they are treating the allergy symptoms, speech problems, etc. – and they are getting nowhere!

Barbara shares the story of how she became a Myofacial Therapist, and why she was her own first client.

Tune in and learn more about how oral facial myofunctional therapy and how incredibly helpful it can be!

About myfunctional therapy:

The purpose of myofunctional therapy is to eliminate poor habit patterns (such as thumb sucking, nail biting, other biting /sucking habits), normalizing the freeway space, improve cosmesis with lips-together rest posture, achieve nasal breathing, establish normal function of the tongue at rest and during the swallow, create a normal and harmonious oral-facial muscle environment, and restore equilibrium to the mouth, face, head, neck, and body by changing function and behaviors. An easier way to think of it is we teach you to “chew, breathe, and swallow” a new way.

Myofunctional therapy is a program of exercises that helps you stop oral and facial habits that can ruin your smile, change your appearance and sap your health. It retrains the muscles of your mouth, jaw and face, bringing them into harmony. And it instills new and positive habits to make sure those changes last.

“Myo” can help you:

STOP a tongue thrust habit.

START breathing through your nose instead of your mouth.

QUIT thumb-sucking, nail-biting, lip/cheek-chewing or other poor habits.

OVERCOME unsightly manners of eating and drinking.

IMPROVE head-neck-body posture.

PREVENT or correct Long Face Syndrome.

ESTABLISH a harmonious oral environment.

BETTER DEAL with issues such as speech problems, sleep apnea, snoring, digestion, clenching/grinding habits and TMJ disorders.

Myofunctional therapy is suitable for everyone from age 4 on up, but treatment around the age of 7 or 8 is ideal. This is because oral habits are less ingrained at this stage and easier to change, encouraging normal dental growth.

But patients of all ages can benefit. Motivation and commitment are the keys to success.

About Barbara Greene:

Therapist, teacher, speaker and author Barbara J. Greene, was first trained in oral-facial myology by the visionary teachers Daniel Garliner, MA, and Roy Langer, PhD, at their Institute of Myofunctional Therapy in Coral Gables, Florida. She began her practice in 1971 while pursuing further study with other notable therapists, including Richard Barrett, MA, in Tucson, Arizona, and William Zickefoose, BA, COM, in Sacramento, California. Since then, Barbara has helped hundreds of children and adults correct their myofunctional disorders by guiding them through a simple, year-long therapeutic program to establish and maintain proper oral-facial function.

In 2017, Barbara was named the first ever recipient of the Florence Nightingale Trophy, for Vision, Enterprise, and Passion (pictured above) from the Academy of Applied Myofunctional Sciences, recognizing her 46 years dedicated to the field.

Contact Barbara Greene at 805-452-4302, or e-mail [e-mail]  

Also visit: http://tonguethrust.com/

Contact Dr. Bunny Vreeland at [phone] or E-mail: [e-mail]
Also visit:  https://bunnyvreeland.org/  https://vreelandcollege.org/ http://upgradeyourlifewithdrbunny.com/