Just Enjoy Health with Dr. Meghan Birt Ep. 149: Start With Myofunctional Therapy on Your Sleep and Tongue Tie Journey
Mar 14, 2023
Cara Cooper, a registered dental hygienist and myofunctional therapist, shares her expertise on orofacial myofunctional disorders and their impact on sleep and overall health. She discusses how modern diets can lead to issues like jaw dysfunction and the importance of proper tongue posture. Cara emphasizes the role of myofunctional therapy in preventing lifelong problems, the risks of DIY exercises, and the need for coordinated care, especially before tongue tie surgeries. She also highlights the link between sleep disorders and behavioral issues in children.
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Personal Discovery Led To Specialization
- Cara discovered her own posterior tongue tie at age 40 despite dental training, showing providers can miss ties.
- Her experience motivated deeper education and practice in myofunctional therapy.
See Myofunctional Therapy First, Coordinate Care
- Start with a myofunctional therapist as your coordinator to evaluate function, screen airways, and refer for ENT or sleep studies.
- Do therapy before any surgical release or orthodontics to ensure changes hold and avoid worsening airway issues.
Therapy Lowers Apnea Events Significantly
- Myofunctional therapy can significantly reduce obstructive events: studies show ~50% reduction in adults and ~62% in children.
- Therapy is therefore a meaningful non-surgical tool to improve sleep-disordered breathing metrics.
