Soft Tissue Dysfunction

The influence of myofunctional habits on cranio-facial development and orthodontic problems has regularly been reported in publications since the era of Edward Angle. More recent studies show that crowded teeth and jaw discrepancies are not always hereditary, but can be caused by the way a child swallows and breathes. Orthodontic treatment rarely includes therapy for these myofunctional problems. The soft tissues control dental position and should be treated in conjunction with any orthodontic appliance therapy.

Research shows the position of the teeth is determined by the lips and tongue.
"More often than recognized, the peculiarities of lip function may have been the cause of forcing the teeth into the malpositions they occupy."

The power of the forces of the tongue, lower lip and peri-oral muscles is sufficient to move the teeth into any position. Soft tissue dysfunction, once recognized, can be treated which will improve the result of any orthodontic treatment, particularly stability. If corrected early, in the mixed dentition an improvement in facial development invariably occurs, and the need for extracting teeth for orthodontic purposes is minimized.

See habit correction in the growing child.

Previously little attention was paid to diagnosis of soft tissue dysfunction, as the problems were difficult to recognise and very time consuming to treat.

The TRAINER System™ was developed to incorporate the philosophy of myofunctional therapy (see myofunctional effect) into a single size, easy to use appliance. Added to this, the use of slow motion digital video allows better understanding and diagnosis of the significance of these problems. The soft tissue dysfunction video, illustrates the effect on tooth and jaw development, plus the detrimental effect on the TMJ Joints.
Treatment of soft tissue dysfunction is therefore essential for long term success of any orthodontic and TMJ treatment.

More on diagnosis of soft tissue dysfunction in library.