There’s something I need to say out loud — and I know it may ruffle feathers…but I’m talking about why dental hygienists should learn myofunctional therapy. Hard stop.

After 16 years working as a dental hygienist and a decade as a myofunctional therapist, I genuinely believe it is negligent that dental hygienists, dentists, and speech therapists are not formally trained in orofacial myofunctional therapy.

Not because anyone is doing something wrong.

But because we were never taught what to look for.

And once you understand airway, tongue function, and oral muscle patterns, you start realizing how many patients were struggling right in front of you… while you followed the exact training you were given.

This article explains why dental hygienists should learn myofunctional therapy, and why understanding airway and tongue function changes how we see patient care forever.

Prefer to Listen Instead?

This article is based on The Profitable Myofunctional Therapist™ podcast episode 61: 15 Reasons Dental Hygienists Should Be Trained In Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in 2026.

You can listen to the podcast here.

Why Dental Hygienists Should Learn Myofunctional Therapy

Most hygienists have experienced this moment, even if they couldn’t explain it.

You see patients who:

• relapse after orthodontics again and again
• grind despite wearing appliances
• struggle with inflamed gingival tissue despite excellent hygiene
• gag during x-rays every single visit
• mouth breathe constantly
• never seem rested no matter what they try

You chart it.

You educate.

You follow protocol.

And yet… nothing truly changes.

That’s not a failure of effort.

It’s a gap in training.

The Problem Isn’t What We Were Taught — It’s What Was Missing

Dental hygiene education teaches us to identify disease and maintain oral health.

But it rarely teaches us how breathing, tongue posture, and muscle function influence nearly everything happening in the mouth.

(I have to say – I am starting to meet people who actually did learn about myofunctional therapy in dental hygiene school – but very briefly, and certainly not “trained in it”.)

For example:

A tongue thrust is often blamed for orthodontic relapse.

But the thrust itself is usually not the real problem.

Low tongue resting posture — where the tongue lives 23 hours a day — applies constant pressure to teeth and airway development.

If the resting posture never changes, relapse is predictable.

Not mysterious.

I am seeing clients who are in their 70’s – enduring orthodontic treatment for the 5th – 6th – 7th times. It breaks my heart.

[I also kept experiencing orthodontic relapse – 3 times – and it wasn’t until the orthodontist told me it was my mouth breathing and open mouth rest posture – that I actually stopped the relapse process. My teeth haven’t shifted at all over the last 10 years!]

Why Mouth Breathing Should Be a Bigger Conversation in Dentistry

I cannot tell you how many times I charted “mouth breather” early in my career and moved on.

I knew it mattered.

I just didn’t know what to do with the information.

Mouth breathing affects:

• oral tissue health
• craniofacial development
• sleep quality
• airway stability
• orthodontic outcomes

When lips remain open, the natural balance that helps stabilize teeth disappears.

We were documenting symptoms without understanding the system behind them.

I’m personally mortified when I think about the number of humans that I could have helped rather than simply charting “bloody, spongy anterior gingiva – mouth breather”. End of story. No other strategy to help them.

Grinding Is Often a Warning Signal — Not the Problem

Dental offices sell millions of grinding appliances every year.

Yet the majority of sleep-disordered breathing remains undiagnosed.

Grinding can be the body’s emergency response to airway obstruction.

A protective mechanism.

Not simply a habit.

Without airway education, hygienists treat the noise instead of asking why the alarm is going off.

We need to be asking more questions and digging to the why. Why is the person grinding? Why is the person not sleeping well? Why is the person sleeping in my hygiene chair?

In my opinion – this is one of the biggest reasons why dental hygienists should learn myofunctional therapy.

The Connection Between Airway, Sleep, and Everyday Patients

Sleep-disordered breathing is not limited to stereotypical cases.

It shows up in:

• chronic fatigue
• ADHD diagnoses in children
• cardiovascular disease
• diabetes
• choking or swallowing difficulties
• long-term reflux issues

Dental hygienists are uniquely positioned to notice these patterns because we see patients repeatedly over years.

But without training, those observations remain disconnected dots.

Think of how you could be helping your patients improve their life? Not just their oral health. Another great reason why dental hygienists should learn myofunctional therapy!

Tongue Ties: Another Great Reason Why Dental Hygienists Should Learn Myofunctional Therapy

One of the most eye-opening experiences in my career involved speech therapy failures that made no sense.

Children worked for years without progress.

Parents felt blamed.

Therapists felt frustrated.

And no one screened for tongue restriction.

Once structural restrictions were addressed and myofunctional therapy began, progress followed.

Not because speech therapy was wrong. Or that the SLP wasn’t doing her job.

Because the missing piece was finally identified.

Earlier Intervention Changes Everything

Facial growth and airway development happen early.

Waiting until adolescence to address misguided facial development or functional concerns often means working against development that has already completed.

Understanding craniofacial growth allows clinicians to have earlier, more meaningful conversations with families — long before braces or sleep problems escalate.

Why This Matters for Dental Hygienists Specifically

Dental hygienists are not outsiders to this conversation.

We are already observing:

• swallowing patterns
• oral habits
• airway indicators
• tissue health changes
• orthodontic progress over time

Myofunctional therapy doesn’t replace hygiene.

It expands what hygienists are capable of seeing and contributing.

And for many hygienists experiencing physical burnout or injury, it also opens a pathway to continue helping patients in a sustainable way.

The Bigger Truth Most Hygienists Quietly Feel

Many hygienists sense there is more going on with their patients than plaque and calculus alone.

They just don’t yet have the framework to explain it.

Learning about airway and myofunctional therapy doesn’t suddenly make you different.

It gives language and structure to instincts you’ve already had for years.

And once you learn to recognize root causes instead of isolated symptoms, patient care changes permanently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should dental hygienists learn myofunctional therapy?

Yes. Dental hygienists are uniquely positioned to recognize airway issues, tongue function patterns, mouth breathing, and orthodontic relapse — but most are never trained to act on what they’re seeing. Adding myofunctional therapy training transforms what hygienists can offer patients and creates a sustainable career pathway beyond the operatory.

What is the connection between dental hygiene and myofunctional therapy?

Dental hygienists already observe the exact signs myofunctional therapy addresses — mouth breathing, low tongue posture, orthodontic relapse, grinding, gagging, and inflamed tissue. Hygiene education identifies these as symptoms. Myofunctional therapy teaches you why they’re happening and what to do about them. The two disciplines fit together naturally.

Why isn’t myofunctional therapy taught in dental hygiene school?

Dental hygiene education is designed to teach disease identification and oral health maintenance. Airway function, tongue posture, and craniofacial development weren’t part of the original curriculum and most programs still don’t include them. That gap is exactly why so many hygienists feel they’re missing something with their patients — because they are.

Is mouth breathing actually a problem for dental patients?

Yes, and a bigger one than most dental professionals realize. Mouth breathing affects oral tissue health, craniofacial development, sleep quality, airway stability, and orthodontic outcomes. When lips stay open, the natural muscle balance that stabilizes teeth disappears. Charting “mouth breather” without intervention misses a root cause that affects dozens of downstream issues.

Can myofunctional therapy prevent orthodontic relapse?

In many cases, yes. Orthodontic relapse is often blamed on tongue thrust, but the real driver is usually low tongue resting posture — the position the tongue holds 23 hours a day. If the resting posture never changes, relapse is predictable. Myofunctional therapy retrains tongue posture, which is why patients who complete it often hold their orthodontic results long-term.

What is the easiest career change for a dental hygienist who is burned out?

Adding myofunctional therapy is one of the most accessible career changes for burned-out hygienists because it builds directly on the clinical license and skills you already have. You don’t need a new degree or to start over — you add post-graduate training and can transition gradually while still working in hygiene. Read: Dental Hygienist Career Change

Ready to Explore Your Next Step?

🎙️ Listen to Episode 61: 15 Reasons Dental Hygienists Should Be Trained In Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy in 2026
[Podcast link]

If you want help mapping your dental hygienist career change, you can book a Get Unstuck Call here:
https://theprofitablemyofunctionaltherapist.com/contact/

💙 Xo,
Carmen

P.S. Are you part of the The Profitable Myofunctional Therapist™ Facebook community? If not, you definitely want to be. We do free monthly training in that group and only members get access to the free workshops. You can join here.