Cold and flu season has arrived! Here are some tips to keep those nasty little germs from invading our bodies and homes….
· Wash your hands for 2 minutes frequently during the day (sing the birthday song)
· Use a nasal rinse if you’re traveling in an airplane, or around a lot of people (yes…the netty pot!)
· Gargle with mouth rinse – this is also an excellent myofunctional therapy exercise that strengthens the back of your tongue and throat muscles
· Keep hands away from face and mouth
· Remove shoes before entering your home
· Wash hands thoroughly after coming in from grocery shopping or running errands
CLOSE YOUR MOUTH - BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE
Your nose filters the air we breathe and is one of our best weapons against germs!
Improving our health and keeping our teeth straight with myofunctional therapy.
Weakened muscles of the tongue, mouth and upper throat are the result of chronic mouth breathing. Myofunctional therapy exercises improve the strength of the muscles within the mouth, most importantly the tongue. Additionally, myofunctional therapy helps to reinforce the proper resting position of the tongue. The tongue should rest on the roof of the mouth, the tip just slightly behind the front teeth. The lips are closed and the teeth apart.
Myofunctional therapy is used by dentists and orthodontists to help correct a tongue thrust swallow pattern. Swallowing 1600-2000 times a day, with an approximate force of 20 pounds of pressure, is the force the tongue exerts on the teeth. The mouth breathing habit is one of the causes of a tongue thrust swallow pattern. It’s important to recognize this problem early on and correct it. Learning to swallow the correct way will help to ensure the teeth don’t move back into their original position.
This therapy is non – invasive, uses no medication and has no major health risks. In addition, the therapy has been used to treat other conditions such as:
· Headaches
· Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or heart burn
· Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain
· Neck pain
· Thumb sucking
· Nail biting
Myofunctional therapy exercises are designed to improve facial and oral muscle tone to establish nasal breathing and closed mouth-resting posture (tongue to the palate). Our nose is filtering the air we breathe, reducing the amount of harmful bacteria entering our body. We all know that fresh fruits and veggies strengthen the immune system, but did you know that eating hard vegetables such as carrots will strengthen the bones of the jaw?
Practice these myofunctional therapy tips and stay healthier this winter.
Wishing you a safe and healthy winter!
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