Myospots – What it is and how it can Improve Tongue Posture?

Where do you keep your tongue at rest? That’s right, there is, in fact, a correct place to rest your tongue. When you are not eating or speaking, your tongue should be resting on the roof of the mouth. Your lips should be gently closed, and you should be breathing quietly through your nose. Your tongue posture is vital for your health and appearance. Did you know that where your tongue is resting in your mouth can even affect the way you breathe?

Why is Improper Tongue Positioning Bad?

The tongue is an extremely important muscle that impacts other body parts far beyond your mouth. Improper tongue posture has been linked to dental and orofacial issues and to various health problems such as:

Mouth breathing

Mouth breathing reduces the oxygen supply that your body receives. Mouth breathing may also cause crooked teeth, facial deformities, or non-optimal growth in children. It is linked to daytime sleepiness and poor performance at work or school. With mouth breathing, there is a higher likelihood of developing sleep disorders and symptoms similar to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Mouth breathing and tongue position are closely related. Mouth breathers typically condition their tongues to lay low in the mouth. When the tongue is trained to rest in its correct position (against the roof of the mouth), it becomes increasingly difficult to breathe through the mouth and thus improves overall health.

Poor swallowing

Proper swallowing is essential for proper digestion. The tongue is critical for swallowing, providing the driving force that transports food and liquid through the mouth and pharynx. When swallowing, the tongue should be held against the roof of the mouth. Many people however, swallow by moving their tongues forward and down, referred to as “tongue thrusting” A tongue thrust swallow can force the teeth and arches out of alignment due to the constant pressure of the tongue. It can also affect speech, digestion and breathing. Another problem commonly seen in the elderly, is dysphagia. As people get older, sometimes their mouth and throat muscles begin to weaken. This, in turn, can lead to swallowing difficulties. Through tongue exercises and proper tongue posture, we can improve tongue muscles tone for better swallowing.

Speech problems

Studies show that speech dysfunctions, such as articulation disorders, are linked to poor posture of the tongue. Strengthening the tongue muscles and training the tongue to elevate and rest on the palate is essential for the treatment of speech disorders.

Poor teeth alignment

When the tongue does not rest in its correct position, it exerts pressure on the teeth and can cause teeth to shift, become crooked, create a bad bite, and even result in habitual teeth grinding.

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Mouth breathing and improper tongue posture are the leading causes of sleep disorders. The natural position of the tongue is supposed to be at the roof of the mouth. When sleeping at night, a mouth-breathing tendency causes the tongue to not be in contact with the roof of the mouth, making it an obstruction to the airway.

How can we improve our tongue posture?

At DP Dental, we can help establish proper tongue posture through myofunctional therapy. Myofunctional therapy is a set of exercises that strengthen and train the muscles around the tongue, face, and mouth.

Just like we need exercise to maintain balance, strength, and function in our bodies, by using myofunctional therapy, we can retrain the mouth, tongue, and face muscles to establish the ideal oral rest posture and enable proper breathing, chewing, and swallowing habits. Sometimes, apart from exercises, we may have to employ oral sensory tools in our Myofunctional Habit Correction Programme to help establish the ideal oral rest posture. Myospots are tools which can aid in establishing proper tongue posture and promote nasal breathing.

What are Myospots, and how do they work?

Myospots are small, dissolvable fruit-flavoured pads that stick easily to the roof of the mouth. To use them, gently force them with your thumb against the hard palate, about 2-3 mm behind the two front teeth. A flavoured Myospot at the roof of the mouth stimulates the tongue to elevate and touch it. It takes around 50 minutes for each spot to dissolve completely; this means that when the tip of the tongue rests on the spot, the tongue receives about 50 minutes of elevation and strengthening. Over time and with daily use, your tongue will naturally “suction” itself to its ideal rest position: the roof of your mouth. Proper tongue position will in turn, result in correct breathing: through the nose, instead of through the mouth. Myospots are made of safe and natural ingredients and are gluten, soy and dairy free. They have natural colours and flavours that give them a pleasant look and taste. They contain no animal-derived products. Hence they are also suitable for vegans.

Importantly, Myospots is backed by research. Myospots are listed as a class-1 medical device with the Australian Register for Therapeutic Goods (ARTG-326829) and have a European GPSD (General Product Safety Directive) certificate.

Myospots in Singapore

We are pleased to inform you that DP Dental is the exclusive distributor of Myospots in Singapore and Malaysia. If you are interested in trying out Myospots or want to know more about our Myofunctional Habit Correction Programme, do contact us at (+65) 6282 0122 or WhatsApp at (+65) 9012 8562. You can also head over to https://www.dpdental.com/myofunctional-therapy-in-singapore/ for more information on myofunctional therapy. Also READ:What is myofunctional therapy? How do I know if my child needs it?