Build a Healthy Jaw, Mouth & Brain
The hidden importance of chewing
We frequently suggest Myo Munchee devices to parents, especially those whose children’s mouths have become deformed by pacifier use.
This video nicely explains summary details,
FYI, it is cheaper to learn how to do myofunctional (mouth movement) therapy than to pay someone else, a serious idea if you do not have lots of extra money. Myofunctional therapy is not rocket science, there are no real qualifications, so lots of dental assistants do it for extra income.
Did I blog this story already? Well, if not….
Some years ago, I sought myofunctional therapy advice for myself because my teeth were shifting slightly (this happens if you have your wisdom teeth removed, don’t do it…comment below if you need advice on how to avoid it).
The therapist was one of the MOST highly regarded myofunctional therapists in the US, so I was keen to have my first appointment.
However, during the intake discussion the therapist INSISTED on knowing my late father’s educational level. Why? What could this possibly have to do with my mouth? “Oh, you know, education is very important,” she droned on. Seriously? It has NOTHING to do with my jaw development. I’m not ashamed of my father’s PhD, but I wanted to see where the line of questioning would go because I was looking for a therapist to recommend to parents. Besides, I already told her the tooth shift started in middle age!
The more we talked, the more irritated I became. I realized that this intake form was her way of leading the parents to feel guilt over their child’s oral development. This is terrible.
It saved me an appointment fee. But I wish I had someone good to share with you, hence the Myo Munchee video.
Note: Be leery of practitioners who want information that is not specific to the patient. Pediatricians, children’s speech therapists, children’s dentists, and special education teachers all love to do this.
The myofunctional therapy is probably a program we need to provide parents in the near future. For now, one can get pretty far on YouTube!
For me, I started studying with these Myo Munchee videos, then I branched out to many more. Here are some favorites:
An excellent resource is “The Dental Diet” by Dr. Steven Lin. I think it is available in some libraries, too.