When it comes to dental and myofunctional therapy tools, one of the most unique and useful ones is a Myo Munchee. These chewable tools can help children develop proper, healthy jaw and face bones, speech patterns, dental hygiene, sleeping habits and so much more. And, easily available at your Lakewood dental office, a Myo Munchee can also help correct these problems in adults. Here is what you need to know about this useful dental tool and where in Lakewood, CO you can find one.
What is a Habit Eliminator and Oral Muscle Strengthener?
A Myo Munchee is a silicone tool that looks like a hockey or football mouthguard. The tool is available in four sizes: mini for very young children (age depending on their development), small for children ages 4-8, medium for children ages 8+ and most adult women, and large for boys ages 14+ and most adult men.
To use the tool, you or your child simply puts it in his or her mouth and actively chews it for up to ten minutes per day. Children and most adults need to work up to this amount and will start by chewing it for five minutes, twice per day. It is non-toxic and safe to chew, and has amazing effects on the muscles and bones of the face.
What Can a Myo Munchee Help With?
Your Lakewood dentist may suggest that you or your child use a Myo Munchee if they notice weakness in the muscles in the lower third of the face, which can cause breathing, eating and talking problems. In addition, your dentist may notice other problems with the teeth, gums, face or function of any of them and recommend using a Myo Munchee.
By actively chewing this soft appliance, we can get the body’s innate optimal functioning back on track. The reflexive response tool triggers helps with jaw and mouth function, breathing, posture and sleep.
They can help with a very wide range of problems and conditions, such as:
- Craniofacial development
- Dental hygiene
- Bone and joint health
- TMJ stability
- Dental hygiene
- Salivary production
Myo Munchees are valuable tools to assist other forms of therapy and treatment, such as myofunctional therapy, speech pathology, dementia therapy, manual therapy, orthodontic treatment, sleep therapy and more. They support periodontal health and condition, bone and joint health, and proper oral and facial development in children. It may also be used as a temporary mandibular advancement splint (MAS) appliance.
Where Can I Get a Myo Munchee in Lakewood?
You can get a Myo Munchee in our Lakewood, CO dental office. We stock them and can instruct you and your child on their use.
How Often Should My Child Use One?
That depends. When they first begin using the Myo Munchee, few children will have the jaw strength to do so for very long. However, your Lakewood dentist should help you develop a schedule to slowly increase your child’s strength, and likely will instruct you to keep extending active use until the child reaches five minutes of use twice per day. However, some children may also benefit from additional passive use, where the tool is in their mouth, but they aren’t chewing. Your dental doctor should also walk you through this.
If you think you or your child might benefit from a Myo Munchee, stop by our Lakewood dental clinic today or schedule an appointment with Dr. Elizabeth Turner to talk about your questions.
To learn more about our pediatric dental services, visit this page here.
