Airway Health
& Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
It may seem new, but orofacial myofunctional therapy has been practiced for over 50 years!
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As medical and dental providers continue to learn more about airway health and the impact it has on the whole body, more research is being completed by providers in all specialties. These research studies provide strong results backed by science and standardized research protocols in favor of myofunctional therapy and the positive impact it can have on overall health in both children and adults.
New research will be added as it becomes available.
Dr. Christian Guilleminault
The late Christian Guilleminault, MD, DM, DBiol
"The researcher who coined ‘obstructive sleep apnea syndrome' and helped expand Stanford’s sleep clinic into a full-service center now known as the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center.
He was also a prolific researcher who co-authored more than 800 journal articles on narcolepsy, sleep apnea, sudden infant death syndrome, snoring, and other mostly sleep-related topics."
Read more about Dr. Guilleminault here.
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Sleep Apnea Syndrome Due to Upper Airway Obstruction
Published: March 1977
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From Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome to Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome: Consistency of Daytime Sleepiness
Published: December 1992
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Recognition of Sleep-disordered Breathing in Children
Published: November 1996
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Meta-Analysis of Quantitative Sleep Parameters From Childhood to Old Age in Healthy Individuals: Developing Normative Sleep Values Across the Human Lifespan
Published: October 2004
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Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Published: August 2005
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A Cause of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness: The Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome
Published: September 1993
The Breathe Institute
Dr. Soroush Zaghi - Otolaryngology (ENT), Sleep Surgeon
Dr. Kevin Coppelson - Oral Maxillofacial Surgeon
Sanda Pinkerton - RDHAP, OMT
Dr. Anna Gross - SLPD, CCC-SLP, CLC
Carla Lejarraga - RDH, OM
Lesley Kupiec - MS, RDH
Dr. Rosalba Courtney - DO, PhD
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Myofunctional Therapy To Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review And Meta-analysis
Published: May 2015
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Lingual Frenuloplasty With Myofunctional Therapy: Exploring Safety And Efficacy In 348 Cases
Published: August 2019
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How Tongue Mobility Changes Face And Jaw Development
Published: September 2019
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Lingual And Maxillary Labial Frenuloplasty With Myofunctional Therapy As A Treatment For Mouth Breathing And Snoring
Published: March 2019
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Assessment Of Posterior Tongue Mobility Using Lingual-palatal Suction: Progress Toward A Functional Definition Of Ankyloglossia
Published: January 2021
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Determinants Of Probable Sleep Bruxism In A Pediatric Mixed Dentition Population: A Multivariate Analysis Of Mouth vs. Nasal Breathing, Tongue Mobility, & Tonsil Size
Published: January 2021
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Safety And Efficacy Of Maxillary Labial Frenectomy In Children: A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study
Published: June 2022
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Speech Production In Young Children With Tongue-Tie
Published: July 2020
Dr. Bobby Ghaheri
Dr. Bobby Ghaheri, MD
Research resources
Blog posts by Dr. Ghaheri
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How to Examine a Baby for Tongue Tie or Lip Tie
Published: February 2014
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Diagnosing Tongue Tie in a Baby is Not a Fad
Published: February 2014
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Not All Breastfeeding Problems Are Caused by Tongue Tie
Published: February 2014
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Weight Gain is Not the Only Marker of Successful Breastfeeding
Published: February 2014
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How to Choose Your Provider: Does Laser vs Scissors Matter?
Published: April 2014
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The Importance of Active Wound Management Following Frenotomy
Published: June 2015
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A Breastfeeding Mom's Symptoms Are as Important as the Baby's
Published: February 2014
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How Tongue Tie Affects Breastfeeding Mechanics
Published: March 2014
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How Does an Upper Lip Tie Affect Breastfeeding?
Published: March 2014
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It Takes a Team to Improve Breastfeeding After a Tongue Tie Procedure
Published: March 2014
Dr. Lawrence Kotlow
Lawrence Kotlow, DDS
Research resources
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Is the Medical Profession Following the Hippocratic Oath by doing No Harm when Mothers and Infants are Allowed to Suffer Needlessly when they are Told nothing is Wrong when Tethered Oral Tissues are Either Ignored or Misdiagnosed?
Published: November, 2019
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Exposing the top ten myths(takes) concerning lip and tongue ties in breastfeeding
Published: 2015
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The significance of the tongue and lip ties and why you should consider correcting them
Published: February 2013
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TOTS–tethered Oral tissues The Assessment and Diagnosis of the Tongue and Upper Lip Ties in Breastfeeding
Published: 2015
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The Breastfeeding Dilemma: Misdiagnosed TOTS or Just Ignoring their Existence?
Published: March 2018
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Tethered oral tissues as a differential diagnostic tool in infants and toddlers presenting with obstructive sleep apnoea and air-induced reflux
Published: 2019
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Reflux & Colic due to tongue-ties and lip ties
Published: 2011
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Infant Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER): Benign Infant Acid Reflux or just Plain Aerophagia?
Published: March 2016
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Does Your Child Need a Revision of the Lingual Frenum?
Published: August 2010
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Are randomized controlled trials (RCT) necessary or just an excuse to oppose infant frenectomies to allow successful breastfeeding?
Published: September 2018
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The Time Has Come for Pediatric Dentistry and Medicine to Develop A New Thought Process, Rather Than Just Thinking Outside the Box When Caring for Newborn Babies and Infants, We Need A Totally New Box
Published: December, 2019
Alabama Tongue-Tie Center
Dr. Richard Baxter, DMD, MS
Brigitte Trego, DMD
The Facts - Reliable, detailed information on mother, infant, and older children concerning the impacts of tethered oral tissues and how to screen appropriately.
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Courses for healthcare professionals
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Book - Tongue-Tied: How a Tiny String Under the Tongue Impacts Nursing, Speech, Feeding, and More
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Podcast
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Video Resource Library
Airway Circle
Renata Nehme, BSDH, COM®
Tamara Thomas, CSOM
Angela Richwine, BS, QOM
Ann Blau, MS, CCC-SLP
Kimmie Herrera, BSDH
Madison Scott, BS, CertBBM
Additional Resources
International Journal of Orofacial Myology and Myofunctional Therapy - Official journal of the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM).
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Myofunctional therapy (oropharyngeal exercises) for obstructive sleep apnoea
Published: November 2020
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Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Published: August 2023
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The Effects of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy on Children with OSAHS’s Craniomaxillofacial Growth: A Systematic Review
Published: March 2013
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The Role of Myofunctional Therapy in Treating Sleep-Disordered Breathing: A State-of-the-Art Review
Published: July 2021
Questions?
Check out the forum to post questions and have constructive discussions with other patients & providers.