Mississauga myofunctional therapy that retrains the tongue
Guided exercises that pair with laser frenectomy, expansion, and clear aligners
Written by the Willow Dental Associates team. Medically reviewed by Dr. Albert Quan. Last reviewed: November 2026.
Small habits that shape breathing, swallowing, and teeth
Maybe your child sleeps with their mouth open, or your tongue presses against your front teeth when you swallow. At Willow Dental Associates, Mississauga myofunctional therapy helps children, teens, and adults build tongue, lip, and breathing habits that support growing jaws and steady orthodontic results.
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Breathing through the mouth
At rest, at school or work, or during sleep, often with dry lips or a dry mouth in the morning.
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A tongue that pushes forward
The tongue presses against or between the front teeth when swallowing or speaking, which can nudge teeth out of line.
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Snoring or restless sleep
In children and adults, snoring and tossing at night can go along with a low resting tongue and mouth breathing.
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Teeth that drift after orthodontics
Maybe your teeth were straight once and have started to move, even with a retainer.
What is myofunctional therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is a program of short daily exercises that retrain the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw, a bit like physical therapy for your mouth. It works toward four habits:
Who myofunctional therapy can help
- Children: While jaws are still growing, better tongue and breathing habits support expansion and the way new teeth come in.
- Teens and adults straightening their teeth: Retraining a tongue thrust helps keep teeth where clear aligners or braces move them.
- Adults who snore or have sleep apnea: Exercises can support an oral appliance or CPAP, though they don't replace either one.
- After a tongue or lip tie release: The exercises help the tongue use its new range of motion.
Laser frenectomies for every age, in-house.
How therapy works with a frenectomy, expansion, and clear aligners
Myofunctional therapy trains muscles, while the treatments it pairs with change the space those muscles work in. We offer each of them in our Mississauga office, so one team plans them together.
- Laser frenectomy: We release a tight tongue or lip tie with a laser. Exercises before and after help the tongue learn its new range.
- Expansion: Appliances widen a narrow upper jaw while it's still growing, which gives the tongue room to rest against the palate.
- Clear aligners and braces: aligners move teeth into line, and therapy works on the habits, like a tongue thrust, that can push them back out.
- Sleep appliances: For adults with snoring or sleep apnea, a MicrO2 appliance holds the jaw forward at night, and the exercises support it during the day.
Why starting sooner can help
What myofunctional therapy looks like
Most programs run for several months, with a few minutes of exercises at home each day and regular check-ins with our team.
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An assessment
We look at how you breathe, swallow, and rest your tongue and lips, and check for a tongue or lip tie and for bite concerns.
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A plan that fits your other care
If you also need a frenectomy, expansion, or clear aligners, we plan the exercises around them.
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Daily practice at home
Short exercises for the tongue, lips, and breathing, built into the routines you already have.
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Check-ins
Regular visits let us see your progress, adjust the exercises, and add new ones as your habits change.
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Keeping the new habits
Once the habits come naturally, check-ins space out.
Care in English, Ukrainian, or Romanian.
Costs and coverage for myofunctional therapy
Frequently asked questions
Children who can follow simple instructions and practise at home often start around school age, and teens and adults can start at any point. We release tongue and lip ties at every age, so a younger child can have a laser frenectomy first and add exercises as they grow. Your assessment shows when the timing makes sense.
Most programs run several months. The exercises take a few minutes a day at home, and check-ins let us adjust them as your habits change. Progress depends on daily practice more than anything else, so it helps to tie the exercises to a routine you keep, like brushing your teeth. Your assessment gives you a rough timeline.
Often, yes, for older children and adults. Exercises before a release strengthen the tongue and teach it new movements, and exercises afterward help it use the new range while the area heals. Your assessment shows whether the exercises should come before the release, after it, or both, and how long each stage should run.
It can support treatment, but it doesn't replace it. Strengthening the tongue and throat muscles and building nasal breathing can reduce snoring for some people. If a sleep study shows sleep apnea, we pair the exercises with a MicrO2 appliance or your CPAP, as your physician advises, and adjust the exercises at each check-in.
Call (905) 279-5050 or book online and mention myofunctional therapy. We offer Mississauga myofunctional therapy at our Queensway East office, a short drive for Etobicoke families too. If you're bringing a younger child, their first visit includes a free ride in the chair, a simple way to get comfortable with the room.
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