Myofunctional Therapy
Orofacial myofunctional disorders prohibit your tongue and facial muscles from optimally functioning. Over time, these disorders can seriously impact the quality of your life—leading to issues like sleep-disordered breathing or malocclusions. A variety of behaviors fall into this category, including:
- Swallowing incorrectly: When you swallow incorrectly, your tongue presses against your teeth, which is known as tongue thrust. Over a long period of time, the pressure from your tongue can push your teeth out of place, cause problems with the eruption of new teeth, and even result in tooth grinding and decay.
- Resting your mouth with your lips open: Commonly, this habit hints at improper breathing (mouth breathing), which can result in sleep apnea, cavities, and dry mouth.
- Improper alignment between your upper and lower teeth: Malocclusions can disrupt proper biting, chewing, swallowing, and digesting of food.
- Resting your tongue on the floor of your mouth: This position is associated with poor posture and can cause neck or jaw pain.
On top of these dental and physical problems, myofunctional disorders can also change your aesthetic appearance for the worse. This includes a dull, sluggish appearance from malocclusions, facial grimacing from improper swallowing, and a general dislike for your mouth being open at rest.
If left untreated, these disorders can cause speech problems, such as a lisp or difficulty articulating sounds, teeth shifting, as well as poor oral health. They can also cause issues such as sleep-disordered breathing, obstructive sleep apnea, and TMJ disorders—all of which impact quality of life and worsen total-body wellness.
How we can help:
At Bowen Legacy Dental, we focus on your holistic wellness—rather than just treating your symptoms. Myofunctional therapy allows us to tackle the underlying causes of many dental and wellness issues. This therapy is a fully noninvasive treatment that involves a sequence of exercises to promote nasal breathing, ideal tongue and mouth posture, as well as swallowing properly. These exercises are customized to fit your individual needs and goals. When used properly, you can strengthen your tongue and orofacial muscles, so they perform their appropriate functions while resting, chewing, speaking, swallowing, or sleeping.
Wellness Services
Ozone Therapy
We are proud to use natural ozone therapies to target and eliminate bacteria in the mouth. The use of ozone offers many benefits, from remineralization of enamel to fighting infection. By pairing this advanced treatment with dental procedures and surgeries, we can encourage better oral health and eliminate the possibility of bacterial growth following a treatment.
Learn MoreHealthyStart™
The HealthyStart™ System offers relief to children who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). This innovative system straightens teeth without braces, helping children breathe clearly and avoid long-term consequences of interrupted sleep. By tackling the underlying cause of SDB, HealthyStart™ creates a clear airway for children, offering a permanent solution to sleep-related breathing problems and a beautiful, aligned smile.
Learn MoreMercury-Free Fillings
One common filling used by dentists is a material called amalgam, or silver fillings. Though many people have these fillings without experiencing any health consequence, amalgam does contain mercury, putting some patients at risk for complications, including allergic reactions to mercury and overexposure to the toxin. We are proud to offer our patients safe, mercury-free alternatives like our tooth-colored composite fillings.
Learn MoreTMJ Services
For those suffering from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, we can protect your teeth, ease your discomfort, and provide you with a healthy, effective solution you deserve.
Learn MoreSoft Tissue Laser
Using a soft tissue laser offers improved accuracy and healing times for a variety of procedures. Benefits of using soft tissues lasers in surgery include reduced swelling, less discomfort, and reduced bleeding for patients—creating a more enjoyable experience for the patient and a more precise result.
Learn MoreSleep Therapy
When patients experience sleep problems, like snoring or sleep apnea, they often fail to realize the role that their mouth plays in creating these issues. Our sleep services, including SomnoMed and sleep guards, gently push the jaw forward, creating a clear airway during the night that improves snoring and sleep apnea. This often eliminates the need for more intensive and uncomfortable treatments, like the use of a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.
Learn MoreNutrition
Food has the potential to nourish or harm our bodies, affecting not only oral health, but also your entire body. By prioritizing nutrients and wellness, you can experience the wonderful effects of balanced health—without sacrificing the joy and flavors of food.
Learn MoreNontoxic Dental Materials
At Bowen Legacy Dental, we are committed to using only non-toxic dental materials. By keeping our plastics BPA-free and our fillings free from mercury, we help you maintain good oral health and total body wellness.
Learn MoreCone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT)
Using small cameras in your mouth, the CBCT allows us to capture precise, highly detailed 3D images of your teeth. The detail of these images is invaluable for accurate diagnostics, in-depth recording of dental problems, and improved communication between patient and dentist. This cutting edge technology is the best of dental imaging, and our practice is proud to be one of the few offices in central Ohio who has the Cone Beam CT Scan at our disposal.
Learn MoreMyofunctional Therapy
Orofacial myofunctional disorders prohibit your tongue and facial muscles from optimally functioning. Over time, these disorders can seriously impact the quality of your life—leading to issues like sleep-disordered breathing or malocclusions. A variety of behaviors fall into this category, including:
Learn MoreOrthotropic Appliance Therapy
Orthotropic appliance therapy is an innovative, holistic, and preventive treatment that guides pediatric facial growth. Using specialized oral appliances with patient compliance, we can prevent the onset or worsening of many problems. These include issues like misaligned teeth, difficulty biting and chewing, improper swallowing, pediatric sleep-disordered breathing, obstructive sleep apnea, speech difficulties, and TMJ disorders.
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Family Dentistry
Our family dentistry ranges from general examinations to dental implants and dentures. We care for smiles across all stages of life and look forward to helping you create a foundation for better overall health.
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Cosmetic Dentistry
We provide a selection of cosmetic dental options to help you love your smile! From veneers to advanced whitening, our cosmetic services are safe and effective ways to boost your smile—without sacrificing your smile health.
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Wellness Services
We know that oral health has the power to affect your entire wellness. All of our dental services are based on the principles of whole-body wellness and are committed to boosting your overall health through safe, effective, non-toxic means, like mercury-free fillings and balanced nutrition.
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