Healthy breathing & oral function — therapy that fits your life
Personalized, exercise‑based therapy for orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) that can affect chewing, swallowing, speech and sleep. In‑person and virtual care available.
- Evidence‑informed exercise therapy
- Family‑friendly: children, teens & adults
- In‑person or virtual options
Meet Cristie Morabito‑Caseman, RDH
Cristie is a certified/licensed Cranio Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist and registered dental hygienist with over two decades of experience. She focuses on how airway, craniofacial development, breathing and tongue posture influence health, and has helped families discover the benefits of myofunctional therapy since 2019.
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
OMT is exercise‑based therapy for the muscles of the tongue, lips, cheeks and face. We retrain oral rest posture and nasal breathing, and build healthy patterns for speaking, chewing and swallowing. OMT can stand alone or complement dental, ENT and sleep care.
What we work on
- Nasal breathing (day & night)
- Tongue resting on the palate
- Comfortable lip seal at rest
- Efficient chewing & a mature swallow
Why it matters
These foundations support airway health, craniofacial growth, orthodontic stability, speech clarity, sleep quality and overall comfort.
How it’s delivered
Short daily home exercises with weekly/bi‑weekly coaching. Plans are age‑appropriate and coordinated with your providers when helpful.
Common signs & symptoms
Breathing & posture
Mouth breathing, open‑mouth/lip posture, nasal congestion, snoring, dry mouth.
Tongue function
Low tongue posture, tongue thrust, restricted mobility/tongue‑tie.
Chewing & swallowing
Messy/slow chewing, picky textures, choking/gagging tendencies.
Dentofacial
Crowding/malocclusion, open bite, orthodontic relapse, facial muscle fatigue.
Habits
Thumb/finger sucking, nail/cheek biting, prolonged bottle/sippy use.
Sleep & daytime
Restless sleep, daytime sleepiness, teeth grinding, attention/focus issues.
Who we help
Children
Age‑appropriate games and activities that build nasal breathing, correct oral rest posture, and healthy chewing and swallowing.
Teens
Support for orthodontic goals, jaw comfort, sleep quality, and habit change during growth spurts and treatment.
Adults
Targeted exercises and habit training that can complement sleep, ENT and dental care while fitting busy schedules.
Clinical focus
Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs)
Evaluation and retraining for mouth breathing, open‑mouth posture, tongue thrust, and related muscle dysfunctions.
Tongue‑tie support
Pre‑ and post‑frenectomy therapy to prepare, mobilize and stabilize the tongue for feeding, speech and sleep.
Sleep & snoring support
Training that complements medical care for snoring and sleep‑disordered breathing (alongside CPAP, dental devices, ENT care).
Orthodontic stability
Correct oral rest posture and swallow patterns that support orthodontic outcomes and reduce relapse risk.
Oral habit elimination
Plans to reduce thumb/finger sucking, cheek biting and other oral habits.
Speech collaboration
Coordination with SLPs when articulation benefits from improved oral rest posture, breath and tongue control.
How the program works
- Evaluation: history, screening & functional assessment.
- Plan & coaching: weekly or bi‑weekly training with home practice.
- Team care: coordination with your dentist/orthodontist/ENT/SLP when helpful.
Start here checklist
- Noticing mouth breathing, snoring, or open‑mouth posture
- Concerns about chewing, swallowing, or picky textures
- Orthodontic relapse or tongue thrust
- Tongue‑tie suspected or recently released
Tongue‑tie support
Before release we prepare mobility and function; after release we stabilize new patterns. We’ll coordinate with your releasing provider and share photos/exercises as needed.
Pre‑release
Gentle mobility work, wound‑care planning, body readiness, and home setup.
Post‑release
Function‑first exercises, tongue placement, and habit training to maintain gains.
Team approach
We collaborate with your dentist, ENT, IBCLC and SLP as appropriate.
Sleep & airway
Myofunctional therapy may support snoring and sleep‑disordered breathing as part of a medical or dental plan. We don’t diagnose or treat medical conditions, and we work alongside your physician and sleep providers.
- Works alongside CPAP, oral appliances and ENT treatment
- Addresses habits and muscle patterns that influence airway
- Coaching for nasal breathing and tongue posture during sleep
What the research shows
- Adults: ~50% average reduction in apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) with myofunctional/oropharyngeal therapy used alongside standard care.
- Children: ~60% average AHI reduction reported across studies.
- Randomized trial: AHI fell from ~22 to ~14 events/hour with targeted oropharyngeal exercises in moderate OSA; snoring and sleepiness also improved.
- Positioning: Most reviews recommend OMT as an adjunct to CPAP, oral appliances, weight management and/or ENT care.
Sleep‑disordered breathing
- Randomized trials and meta‑analyses report that myofunctional/oropharyngeal therapy can reduce apnea‑hypopnea index (AHI) and snoring in adults and children when used alongside standard care.
- Benefits are most consistent for symptom reduction (snoring, sleepiness); OMT is typically an adjunct to CPAP, oral appliances, weight management and ENT care.
Tongue function & airway muscles
Recent clinical research emphasizes training tongue strength/coordination and oropharyngeal muscles as part of therapy for airway support.
Orthodontic stability & OMDs
Evidence suggests OMT can help retrain oral posture and swallowing; high‑level evidence for long‑term orthodontic stability is emerging and mixed—best used in collaboration with dental teams.
- Guimarães KC et al., 2009 — Randomized trial of oropharyngeal exercises in moderate OSA; AHI and symptoms improved. PubMed · DOI
- Camacho M et al., 2015 — Meta‑analysis: ~50% AHI reduction in adults, ~62% in children with myofunctional therapy. PubMed · Journal · PDF
- Rueda J‑R et al., 2020 — Cochrane review: OMT probably reduces sleepiness and may improve OSA severity short‑term vs. sham; typically adjunct to standard care. Cochrane · PDF
- Poncin W et al., 2024 — Systematic review/meta‑analysis on tongue motor skills and OMT in OSA; highlights motor training focus. PubMed · Journal · PMC
- Meghpara S et al., 2022 — Meta‑analysis reporting significant AHI and oxygen saturation improvements after myofunctional therapy. PubMed
- Ieto V et al., 2015 — Randomized trial: oropharyngeal exercises reduced primary snoring severity. PubMed
- Stefani CM et al., 2025 — Scoping review on OMT effectiveness for OMDs and orthodontic contexts; evidence is promising. PubMed · PDF
We keep this section current and use research to guide collaborative, individualized care.
Frequently asked questions
Is your online program HIPAA‑compliant?
Yes — virtual care is provided through a HIPAA‑conscious platform designed for healthcare.
Can myofunctional therapy cure obstructive sleep apnea?
No. It isn’t a cure. Research shows it can reduce snoring and AHI for some people and works best as an adjunct to medical/dental care (CPAP, oral appliances, ENT treatment). Your sleep specialist guides comprehensive care.
Do you diagnose medical conditions?
No. We don’t diagnose or treat medical diseases. We provide therapy and coordinate with your physician, dentist, orthodontist, ENT, SLP or IBCLC as needed.
Is therapy appropriate for children?
Yes. Plans are age‑appropriate and often coordinated with dental/ENT/SLP care. We focus on nasal breathing, tongue posture, lip seal and efficient chewing/swallowing using kid‑friendly exercises.
How long does it take?
Most programs run a few months with brief daily practice. Duration depends on goals, adherence, age and team care.
Do you work with tongue‑tie releases?
Yes — we provide pre‑ and post‑release support to prepare mobility and stabilize new patterns. We coordinate with your releasing provider.
Will this help my orthodontic results last?
Therapy retrains oral posture and swallow mechanics that influence dental stability. Evidence is promising; we collaborate with your orthodontist for the best plan.