Better Together: How Phase I Orthodontics and Myofunctional or Speech Therapy Help Kids Speak, Chew and Thrive
Your child's teeth don't work alone. Every time they talk, chew, swallow or breathe, their teeth, jaws, tongue, lips and facial muscles work together as a team. When one part of that team is out of balance, the others are affected too.
That's why, for some children, the best results come from a team approach. At Fallsgrove Orthodontics, Dr. Boroun often combines Phase I orthodontic treatment with speech therapy or myofunctional therapy. Orthodontics shapes the structure, and therapy trains the muscles that use it. Together, they can help children speak more clearly, chew and swallow more comfortably and build healthy habits that last a lifetime.
The three pieces of the puzzle
Phase I orthodontic treatment
Phase I (early) treatment usually happens between about ages 7 and 10, while a child still has a mix of baby and adult teeth. It focuses on guiding jaw growth and correcting problems early. Common tools include palate expanders to widen a narrow upper jaw, habit appliances to help stop thumb sucking or tongue thrusting, and partial braces to correct crossbites or make room for incoming teeth.
Myofunctional therapy
Orofacial myofunctional therapy is like physical therapy for the mouth and face. Through simple, guided exercises, children learn healthy patterns such as:
• Resting the tongue on the roof of the mouth
• Keeping the lips closed at rest
• Breathing through the nose
• Swallowing without pushing the tongue against the teeth
• Chewing evenly on both sides
Speech therapy
A speech-language pathologist helps children produce sounds correctly. Some speech sounds, such as "s," "z," "sh," "ch," "t" and "d," depend on precise tongue placement against the teeth and palate. When the teeth or jaws are out of position, these sounds can be harder to make, which can lead to a lisp or unclear speech.
Why they work better together
Orthodontics and therapy solve two sides of the same problem. Orthodontic treatment can create the right space and structure, but if the tongue and lips keep their old habits, they can push teeth back out of place. Therapy can retrain the muscles, but it's hard for a tongue to rest in the right spot if the palate is too narrow or the teeth are in the way.
When they're coordinated, each makes the other more effective:
Concern | How Phase I orthodontics helps | How therapy helps |
Open bite or tongue thrust | Closes gaps and guides the bite | Retrains the tongue so the bite stays closed |
Narrow palate and mouth breathing | Expander widens the palate and can ease nasal breathing | Builds nasal breathing and proper tongue posture |
Lisp or unclear speech | Corrects the tooth and jaw positions that make sounds harder | Teaches correct tongue placement for each sound |
Chewing or swallowing difficulty | Improves how the teeth meet so food can be chewed evenly | Trains balanced chewing and a healthy swallow |
Thumb or finger sucking | Habit appliance and correction of the resulting bite changes | Positive routines to break the habit for good |
Addressing the muscle habits behind a problem can also help reduce the chance that teeth shift back after treatment. Dr. Boroun works directly with trusted local speech-language pathologists and myofunctional therapists, so everyone on your child's team is working toward the same goals.
Signs your child may benefit
Talk to us about a team approach if your child:
• Has a lisp or trouble pronouncing certain sounds
• Pushes their tongue between their teeth when speaking or swallowing
• Breathes through their mouth or keeps their lips apart at rest
• Is a slow, messy or picky eater, or chews mostly on one side
• Still sucks their thumb or fingers past age 4 or 5
• Has an open bite, crossbite or narrow upper jaw
Benefits that last a lifetime
The habits children build now carry into adulthood. Clearer speech can boost confidence in the classroom and with friends. Comfortable, efficient chewing supports healthy eating. Proper tongue posture and nasal breathing support healthy facial growth and can help keep orthodontic results stable for years to come.
Start with a conversation
Every child is different, and not every child needs therapy alongside Phase I treatment. At Fallsgrove Orthodontics in Rockville, Dr. Boroun will evaluate your child's bite, jaw growth, breathing and oral habits. If therapy could help, she'll explain why and coordinate care with the right specialists.
Book a consultation with Dr. Boroun or fill out our new patient form to get started.