Myofunctional Therapy Dental Basics

About the Course

This course on Myofunctional Therapy for the Dental Professional, led by Tamara Thomas, delves into the critical role of oral-facial muscle function and its impact on dental health, airway development, and overall well-being. It is an essential resource for dental professionals looking to enhance their understanding of myofunctional therapy and its practical applications in patient care.

What You’ll Learn

• The fundamentals of Myofunctional Therapy (MFT) and its importance in dental health and airway development.
• The role of nasal breathing in promoting oral health, sleep quality, and systemic wellness.
• How oral habits like thumb sucking and mouth breathing affect facial development and oral health.
• Integrating MFT with orthodontic treatment for long-term stability and functional improvement.
• Understanding sleep-disordered breathing and its connection to oral-facial function.

Course Highlights

• Exploration of tongue posture and its role in craniofacial growth.
• Understanding the significance of lip seal and nasal breathing in maintaining oral and systemic health.
• Review of non-nutritive habits and their impact on malocclusion and facial development.
• Practical approaches to assessing tongue function and addressing tongue tie.
• Insights into pediatric sleep-disordered breathing and its implications for dental professionals.

Key Takeaways

• The impact of proper tongue posture on dental alignment and airway health.
• How to screen patients for oral-facial myofunctional disorders in a dental chair.
• Collaborating with specialists like speech-language pathologists, ENTs, and myofunctional therapists.
• Practical interventions for improving nasal breathing and managing mouth breathing.

Who Should Take This Course?

This course is ideal for dental professionals, including dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants, as well as pediatric dentists and orthodontists. The role of dental specialists is very important in myofunctional therapy and this course is for those who want to expand their knowledge of myofunctional therapy and its role in comprehensive patient care.

Additional Resources

• International Association of Myofunctional Therapists (IAOM)
• Myofunctional Research Institute (MRI)
• American Dental Association (ADA)
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

About the Lecturer

Tamara Thomas, RDH, is a certified specialist in orofacial myology and the owner of Facial Physique Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in San Diego. With extensive experience as a dental hygienist and myofunctional therapist, Tamara has also served as a creative director with Airway Circle and is a mentor at the Myofunctional Therapy Training. Her passion for education and patient care drives her mission to spread awareness about the benefits of myofunctional therapy in dentistry.