Sleep Disorders

Is MRC Oral Myofunctional Therapy a Form of Teeth Alignment?

Dr. Breathe Dr. Breathe
• Jan 31, 2026 • 6 min read

Is MRC Oral Myofunctional Therapy a Form of Teeth Alignment?

MRC Oral Myofunctional Therapy

Does MRC Oral Myofunctional Therapy = Teeth Alignment?

The quickest answer is "NO"!

Oral Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is not teeth alignment. Orthodontics (teeth alignment) focuses on correcting the arrangement and bite of the "teeth," whereas OMT primarily strengthens the "muscles" used for the mouth and breathing, including the tongue, lips, cheeks, and swallowing muscles.

OMT is like exercising, except that it exercises the muscles in the mouth and throat that modern humans rarely engage.

OMT aims to establish the correct usage of the oral muscle groups. It is commonly used as an adjunctive treatment for speech disorders, orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, swallowing disorders, snoring, and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

What is Oral Myofunctional Therapy?

"Oral Myofunctional Therapy" (OMT) refers to training the muscles of the mouth and throat to establish the correct way of using oral muscle groups.

You might ask, "I know how to chew and breathe! Why do I need to learn how to use these muscles?"

The answer is: "Because many people may have never known how to use them correctly." Due to industrialized and refined diets that require less chewing, coupled with nasal congestion and mouth breathing caused by air pollution, the muscles in these areas are often severely weakened. This leads to numerous problems, including poor dental and jaw development, narrowed airways, and underdevelopment of the maxillofacial region (such as a receding chin).

The weakening of these muscles can also affect the arrangement of our teeth and even impact the size of the upper and lower dental arches, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the nasal airway, the middle ear, and upper airway development.

Muscle Groups Trained in Oral Myofunctional Therapy

This includes the oral and throat regions (such as the tongue muscles and the orbicularis oris muscle around the lips). It teaches users how to correctly utilize their oral muscle groups. OMT itself is not a standalone treatment but is often used as an adjunctive therapy alongside treatments for speech disorders, orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, swallowing disorders, snoring, and sleep apnea.

Just like someone who never exercises will inevitably face health issues, when you see a doctor, they will likely tell you to exercise more to stay healthy. Those who practice yoga also know that yoga is essentially a practice of "breathing," a skill that most modern people have lost. Therefore, exercising the mouth and throat can improve the health of the teeth, jaws, and airways, and is particularly beneficial for the sound development of the craniofacial and maxillofacial structures in growing children.

What is the Relationship Between Oral Myofunctional Therapy and Teeth Alignment?

How do oral muscles affect teeth alignment? Let's look at two very common conditions caused by the incorrect use of oral muscles:

Reverse Swallowing and Tongue Thrust

Try to observe how you swallow your saliva.

When a normal person swallows, the tongue moves like a wave, pushing water or food against the palate towards the back of the throat. "Reverse Swallowing," however, involves a forward movement of the tongue, often accompanied by a "tongue thrust" (pressing the tongue against the teeth when swallowing) and relying on compensatory movements from the neck and shoulder muscles to complete the swallow.

Such individuals might sometimes seem a bit unusual because they rely on too many unnecessary physical compensations to swallow. Children with reverse swallowing often have incorrect oral muscle usage. With every swallow, the tongue constantly exerts forward pressure on the teeth, causing the front teeth to tilt forward and eventually resulting in protruding upper front teeth (buck teeth).

Nasal Congestion and Mouth Breathing

mouth breathing

Childhood Nasal Allergies

Due to severe air pollution in Taiwan, a high percentage of children suffer from nasal allergies. These children often experience nasal congestion and can only rely on continuous "mouth breathing" to get air.

Over time, the orbicularis oris muscle around the mouth becomes weak and powerless. The lips therefore lack the strength to resist the outward push of the teeth, easily leading to protruding and misaligned teeth. Although OMT is not specifically designed for orthodontic purposes, it has a positive impact on teeth alignment, dental arch size, and facial contours.

For example, incorrect tongue resting positions and weakness of the lips (orbicularis oris muscle) can both lead to teeth alignment issues. OMT can improve overall oral posture and strengthen facial and oral muscles. This helps create a more balanced and stable environment for the teeth, making orthodontic treatments more effective. OMT is often used as an adjunct to orthodontics or orthognathic surgery to prevent improper muscle movements from altering the treatment results.

Golden Combination: Oral Myofunctional Therapy + Early Orthodontic Treatment

The Best Timing for Children's OMT and Early Orthodontic Treatment

Oral Myofunctional Therapy: Ages 4 to 5

OMT is best started when a child is 4 or 5 years old. The goal is for the child to learn correct breathing methods, tongue resting positions, and the use of oral muscle groups to achieve stability and balance. Stable oral muscles can guide the normal development of the upper and lower jawbones, achieving the effect of dental arch expansion.

Early Orthodontic Treatment: Ages 7 to 8

By the time the child is 7 or 8 years old (after the upper and lower permanent central and lateral incisors have erupted), early orthodontic treatment can be introduced. Because of the earlier myofunctional training, the child will have more stable oral muscle groups and wider upper and lower dental arches, making it more favorable for the teeth to align in their correct positions.

Therefore, starting OMT from a young age not only helps in the early treatment of speech disorders and swallowing difficulties—and potentially prevents pediatric sleep apnea in the future—but also, when combined with early orthodontic treatment, helps achieve stable muscle groups, sufficiently wide dental arches, and neatly aligned teeth. This allows children to have a beautiful smile as they grow.

Orthodontic treatment can align the teeth neatly; the stability and balance of the oral muscle groups are the best retainers.

References

The content is based on the professional experience of physicians. Results may vary depending on individual conditions. Please consult a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.