I get many emails daily from potential clients who wonder one of two things: 1) Can they start therapy immediately or 2) Why do they have to pay for a comprehensive myofunctional exam if they already know they need myofunctional therapy?
Much like a required doctor diagnosis before surgery, myofunctional therapy is similar. I work with a network of people that may or may not need to be involved in your treatment (oral surgeons, dentists, ENT, orthodontists etc). How can I create an adequate treatment plan, when I do not know all of the details about your condition? How can we have things in the right order? Do you need to see an orthodontist first?
“I’m working to design the best treatment plan for you, and for that to be possible, I need to know details!”
A Comprehensive Myofunctional Exam Covers the Following Areas
- Early childhood
- Past and present airway concerns
- Mouth resting posture
- Tongue position
- Digestive concerns
- Swallowing
- Restriction of lingual frenum (tongue-tie evaluation)
- Past and present sucking habits
- Past and present dental concerns
- Past and present speech therapy or concerns
- Head and neck concerns
- Facial structure evaluation
- Sleep evaluation
- Posture evaluation
Myofunctional Disorder Severity Assessment Form
Why These Details Matter
During the exam, I am gathering many details about you. I use a form called a Myofunctional Disorder Severity Assessment Form and I assess a point value to each item. At the end, I come up with a severity score, which helps me determine whether myofunctional therapy is beneficial for you (can I meet the 4 Goals of Myofunctional Therapy?), and which of my treatment programs would best suit you. This score also helps me understand areas that might be very challenging for you and why. For exam, maybe part of your dysfunction is that you have a strong tongue thrust swallowing pattern. The swallowing portion of my therapy will likely be the hardest for you, while you will breeze through the other segments.
What If I’m Still Unsure?
If you are really wondering whether or not you need myofunctional therapy, I encourage you to schedule a free 30 minute assessment first. That way you don’t end up paying for a comprehensive myofunctional exam without understanding first why it’s required and what it entails. You can also read more about what an exam covers here.
There are many excellent resources out there that can help you understand myofunctional therapy. Dr. Mercola does an excellent job in this article. I encourage you to read it and contact me with questions!
What Happens After the Comprehensive Exam?
Once the comprehensive myofunctional exam is complete, you will receive a treatment plan proposal with the treatment costs. Once treatment is accepted, necessary paperwork is completed and a kit is sent to you. As soon as you receive your kit, you will complete pretreatment photos and schedule your first therapy session! It’s that easy!