MyoFUNctional Course Information and Consent
The MyoFUNctional course is a self-led virtual course best suited to children aged 6-14. The course consists of 2 elements:
Myofunctional Therapy
Myobrace appliances
Myofunctional therapy
Myofunctional therapy is the neuromuscular re-education or re-patterning of the oral and facial muscles. It involves the diagnosis, prevention, interception and correction of myofunctional disorders.
The goals of myofunctional therapy are to achieve:
Nasal breathing at all times
Correct tongue resting posture
Correct chewing and swallowing function
Lip seal
To achieve these 4 goals, myofunctional exercises will be introduced on a monthly basis over the course of 9 months. These videos can be viewed on demand. Exercises are to be completed as specified in the course. Correction of myofunctional habits is an essential part of this treatment, and the stability of the final results will depend on your child’s ability to correct and maintain these habits.
Myobrace appliances
Myobrace is a system of medical appliances that aims to teach the tongue to sit in the correct position, support the correction of swallowing patterns and to encourage nasal breathing. The Myobrace appliances are also designed to put light aligning forces on crooked teeth to straighten them and create a wider arch form.
On average 2-4 Myobrace appliances are needed throughout the course.
Common complaints from the Myobrace appliances include:
Initial discomfort, pain, soreness in the teeth, jaws, or surrounding areas due to the pressure the device exerts on the teeth and jaw to encourage alignment.
An increase of saliva production.
Gag reflex/nausea.
Difficulty adapting to the device. Some children found it hard to consistently wear it or resisted it altogether. Reasons were mainly discomfort, inconvenience, or not liking the feeling of a foreign object in the mouth.
How we will review your child’s progress
Virtual reviews:
In months 3, 6 you will have a 15-minute virtual myofunctional review with Annie, the myofunctional therapist.
On month 9, you will have your final 15-minute virtual review with Dr Seb. On this call you will be informed if further treatment is advised or indicated beyond month 9. In some cases, your child may have completed the myofunctional therapy, but may be advised to continue wearing the Myobrace appliances. If this is the case, ongoing reviews will be required.
Additional reviews can be scheduled for an additional fee.
Photographs and questionnaires:
You will be required to upload photographs during the enrolling process as part of your introduction, as well as month 3, 6 and 9. Feedback on these photographs will be provided on your review calls.
There are questionnaires during the enrolling process as part of your introduction, as well as month 3, 6 and 9. These are for you to reflect on any changes and improvements throughout the course.
Dr Seb will prescribe the Myobrace appliances and oversee any changes in the dentition and occlusion throughout the course. Annie will oversee the myofunctional therapy.
Goals of the MyoFUNctional Course:
Consistent nasal breathing
Correct orofacial myofunction with lips together and the tongue resting in the correct position
Optimal facial development within genetic potential
Improved health
Commitment to the MyoFUNctional course and parent participation
Compliance is essential for success
Parents and patients must understand that the treatment will only progress if daily use is maintained as instructed. This is a training process for your child and just like education and sport, commitment and persistence is needed to obtain results.
When it comes to working with children, parent involvement is mandatory. A parent must be present at review sessions and actively involved in practicing exercises or doing therapy alongside your child.
We highly recommend that parents take an active role in practicing exercise with their children outside of review sessions.
Myofunctional therapy is not successful for children when parents are not involved in the process. It is crucial to your child’s success to have parental guidance, motivation, and accountability.
MyoFUNctional Instructions:
Wear the Myobrace appliance for 1–2 hours each day and while sleeping
Do at least five to ten minutes of myofunctional exercises 2 to 3 times daily
Maintain excellent oral hygiene: brush twice daily and interdental clean before bed and a visit a dentist if any signs of decay or gum disease – this course does not replace regular dental visits. It is your responsibility to visit a dentist at least every 3-6 months or as advised by your dentist. You need to have dental stability (no active decay, infections or gum disease) before starting this course.
When not speaking, the mouth should be closed with the tongue resting in the roof of the mouth and breathing through the nose
Upload your photos as soon as possible so that Dr Seb can prescribe the correct Myobrace appliance and size. They will then be posted to you.
Upload photos and complete the quiz at months 3, 6, and final at month 9
Book in your calls for months 3, 6 and 9.
Working with other medical and health care practitioners
To get the best outcomes for your child, Dr Seb and Annie may recommend referrals to other medical and health care practitioners such as:
ENT
Nutritionist (A good diet is important, you cannot boost jaw development if the fuel is not correct. See separate dietary advice or preferably seek professional advice)
Body workers e.g. Cranial osteopath
Allergy clinic
Sleep clinic
GP for further investigation and to facilitate medical referrals
Pediatricians
Oral surgeon (for tongue tie assessment and surgery if indicated)
Orthodontist - if you are looking to achieve improved orthodontic outcomes, we advise you have an in-person assessment by an orthodontist. This is because further dental records will need to be taken (such as dental x-rays and study models) to provide an orthodontic opinion and treatment options.
If your child is a chronic mouth breather, suffers with allergies, asthma, respiratory issues, regularly suffers from stuffy or blocked nose/sinuses, has enlarged tonsils or frequently suffers with tonsillitis, snores, pauses in breathing during sleep, then we strongly advise seeing your GP to facilitate referrals to the appropriate healthcare professionals before starting the course as these problems can often prolong treatment and lead to instability if not corrected.
GDPR for record taking and consent for photographs
All photographs that you upload are stored on the Kajabi platform. Kajabi is one of the worlds leading e-learning and coaching platforms. You can learn more about their privacy and gdpr policy here - https://legal.kajabi.com/policies/privacy
All other data provided is stored within our secure own systems, which only members of the team involved in the course can access.
Caring for your Myobrace appliance
Keep your appliance in its case and in a safe place when you are not wearing it.
Do not chew on the tongue tab or edges of the Myobrace Appliance.
Always brush your teeth before you wear your Myobrace appliance.
Before you go to bed, brush your teeth and rinse your appliance with warm water.
In the morning, brush your appliance with warm water and you can even hand wash with a mild natural soap such as Dr Bronners, allow it to fully dry, then store it in the case in a safe place out of reach of pets.
If you are sick, be sure to clean your Myobrace appliance extra well to reduce the risk of reinfection. Soak your appliance in an antibacterial mouthwash or dish soap to kill all the germs.
Never use boiling water, the microwave, or the dishwasher to clean your appliance.
Not dissimilar to high-performance tyres on a car, longevity is not as important as performance. The MYOBRACE® performs well but often needs to be replaced for continued active treatment.
Note that with correct wear, the MYOBRACE® will wear and split after some months. This is an indication that compliance is good and the parent should be informed that there will be continuing charges for additional replacement appliances.
Patients cannot purchase this device on their own. To avoid over-treatment, patients can only utilise this medical device under the supervision of a trained professional. Please follow the guidelines.
Refund/Cancellation policy
Please see the policy on the sales page
Risks and Limitations of Myofunctional Therapy plus Myobrace Appliance
Due to the many factors that influence upper airway breathing and craniofacial development outcomes are not always predictable and therefore not guaranteed. The outcomes depend on the child’s inherent biology for change, so sometimes the results are rapid and other times it may take more perseverance. On some occasions, particularly with older patients, the jaws may not develop as expected which is beyond our direct control.
Effectiveness depends on the child’s compliance and long term maintenance of habits. Failure to adhere to instructions can lengthen treatment time and can adversely affect results. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to discontinue treatment. A period of retention may be required at the end of the course.
The MyoFUNctional course aims to reduce the need for further orthodontic treatment, in some cases some orthodontic intervention may still be appropriate or indicated.
Completing myofunctional therapy treatment does not guarantee perfect breathing or oral and facial musculature for the rest of a person’s life. Therapy will help develop awareness of correct breathing, tongue posture, swallowing function, lip posture and eliminate habits, but without maintaining this awareness, old habits and muscle patterns can resurface months or years later. As long as an awareness of the myofunctional concern is maintained, relapse should not occur. You won’t be required to practice regular exercises, however, awareness of your newly learned habits for breathing and muscle function will need to be maintained.
The average length of treatment is 9 – 12 months. Total treatment time can sometimes be delayed
beyond the original estimate. Excessive or deficient facial growth, poor patient co-operation, broken appliances and missed review appointments are all factors that could lengthen time and affect the quality of the result. The other most common reason for delay in treatment time is establishing the first goal of myofunctional therapy – nasal breathing. There are often several contributing factors to this such as allergies, intolerances, enlarged adenoids and tonsils that require support from other healthcare professionals.
Consent
Where it says “My Child” this is as either Parent or Guardian.
I confirm that I have read and understood the contents of the Children’s Myofunctional Consent Form. As the parent/guardian of my Child I acknowledge that I have had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns regarding my child’s participation in the course, including its objectives, potential risks, benefits, and available alternatives. If I have any questions, I will seek clarification before purchasing the course.
I also understand that there may be additional risks or unforeseen complications not explicitly listed in this document. Furthermore, I recognise that outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
I hereby give my informed consent for my Child, to participate in the course, with the understanding that this decision is made voluntarily and based on a full awareness of the choices available to me.
Adult Airway Stabilisation Course Information and Consent
The Adult Airway Stabilisation course is a self-led virtual course for adults. The course consists of 2 elements:
Myofunctional Therapy
Myobrace appliances
Myofunctional therapy
Myofunctional therapy is the neuromuscular re-education or re-patterning of the oral and facial muscles. It involves the diagnosis, prevention, interception and correction of myofunctional disorders.
The goals of myofunctional therapy are to achieve:
Nasal breathing at all times
Correct tongue resting posture
Correct chewing and swallowing function
Lip seal
Improved tone and strength of airway muscles
To achieve these 4 goals, myofunctional exercises will be introduced on a monthly basis over the course of 12 months. These videos can be viewed on demand. Exercises are to be completed as specified in the course.
Myobrace appliances
Myobrace is a system of medical appliances that aims to teach the tongue to sit in the correct position, support the correction of swallowing patterns and to encourage nasal breathing. The Myobrace appliances act as a barrier between the muscles and the teeth, and applies light forces to the teeth to assist in aligning the teeth in to their correct position, therefore changes in the dentition and occlusion may occur.
On average 2 Myobrace appliances are needed throughout the course.
Common complaints from the Myobrace appliances include:
Initial discomfort, pain, soreness in the teeth, jaws, or surrounding areas due to the pressure the device exerts on the teeth and jaw to encourage alignment.
An increase of saliva production.
Gag reflex/nausea.
Difficulty adapting to the device.
How we will review your progress
Virtual reviews:
On months 3, 6 and 9 you will have a 15-minute virtual myofunctional review with Annie, the myofunctional therapist.
On month 12, you will have your final 15-minute virtual review with Dr Seb. On this call you will be informed if further treatment is advised or indicated beyond month 12. In some cases, you may have completed the myofunctional therapy, but may be advised to continue wearing the Myobrace appliances. If this is the case, ongoing reviews will be required.
Additional reviews can be scheduled for an additional fee.
Photographs and questionnaires:
You will be required to upload photographs during the enrolling process as part of your introduction, as well as month 3, 6, 9 and 12. Feedback on these photographs will be provided on your review calls.
There are questionnaires during the enrolling process as part of your introduction, as well as month 3, 6, 9 and 12. These are for you to reflect on any changes and improvements throughout the course.
Dr Seb will prescribe the Myobrace appliances and oversee any changes in the dentition and occlusion throughout the course. Annie will oversee the myofunctional therapy.
Goals of the Adult Airway Stabilisation Course:
Consistent nasal breathing
Correct orofacial myofunction with lips together and the tongue resting in the correct position
Improved health
Increased muscular tone of the tongue and the muscles surrounding the airway
Commitment to the Adult Airway Stabilisation course
Compliance is essential for success
Patients must understand that the treatment will only progress if daily use is maintained as instructed. This is a training process and just like sports, commitment and persistence is needed to obtain results.
Adult Airway Stabilisation Instructions:
Wear the Myobrace appliance for 1–2 hours each day and while sleeping
Do at least five to ten minutes of myofunctional exercises 2 to 3 times daily
Maintain excellent oral hygiene: brush twice daily and interdental clean before bed and a visit a dentist if any signs of decay or gum disease – this course does not replace regular dental visits. It is your responsibility to visit a dentist at least every 3-6 months or as advised by your dentist. You need to have dental stability (no active decay, infections or gum disease) before starting this course.
When not speaking, the mouth should be closed with the tongue resting in the roof of the mouth and breathing through the nose
Upload photos and complete the quiz at months 1, 3, 6, 9 and final at month 12
Book in your calls for month 3, 6 and 9.
Working with other medical and health care practitioners
To get the best outcomes for your child, Dr Seb and Annie may recommend referrals to other medical and health care practitioners such as:
ENT
Nutritionist
Body workers e.g. Cranial osteopath
Allergy clinic
Sleep clinic (Sleep tests are increasingly helpful in assessing the quality of your sleep as well as screening for sleep apnea, they can be arranged through you GP or privately online)
GP for further investigation and to facilitate medical referrals
Oral surgeon (for tongue tie assessment and surgery if indicated)
Orthodontist - if you are looking to achieve improved orthodontic outcomes, we advise you have an in-person assessment by an orthodontist. This is because further dental records will need to be taken (such as dental x-rays and study models) to provide an orthodontic opinion and treatment options.
If you suffer with allergies, asthma, respiratory issues, regularly suffer from stuffy or blocked nose/sinuses, reoccurring tonsillitis, post nasal drip, chronic headaches/migraines, snoring, pauses in breathing durning sleep, wake to use the bathroom in the night, unrefreshing sleep, unexplained excessive sleepiness tiredness or fatigue, choking during sleep, sleep fragmentation or insomnia, cognitive dysfunction or memory impairment, then we strongly advise seeing your GP to facilitate referrals to the appropriate healthcare professionals before starting the course.
It is estimated that 90% of sleep apnea cases are undiagnosed. Having a diagnosis is essential to provide you with further data on the severity and also so that you are presented with all of the treatment options available to you.
This course is not intended to treat sleep apnea, and myofunctional therapy is not a NICE recommended treatment option in the UK currently. The course aims to improve the mechanics of breathing by improving the air flow (speed, volume, frequency) and by toning the muscles surrounding the upper airway to provide more structural stability, as well as training the tongue to live in the palate so that it doesn’t fall in to the airway during sleep. One factor this course cannot influence is airway size, which is why an assessment by a medical doctor or airway dentist is essential, as this plays a significant role in breathing mechanics.
GDPR for record taking and consent for photographs
All photographs that you upload are stored on the Kajabi platform. Kajabi is one of the world’s leading e-learning and coaching platforms. You can learn more about their privacy and GDPR policy here - https://legal.kajabi.com/policies/privacy
All other data provided is stored within our secure own systems, which only members of the team involved in the course can access.
Caring for your Myobrace appliance
Keep your appliance in its case and in a safe place when you are not wearing it.
Do not chew on the tongue tab or edges of the Myobrace Appliance.
Always brush your teeth before you wear your Myobrace appliance.
Before you go to bed, brush your teeth and rinse your appliance with warm water.
In the morning, brush your appliance with warm water and you can even hand wash with a mild natural soap such as Dr Bronners, allow it to fully dry, then store it in the case in a safe place out of reach of pets.
If you are sick, be sure to clean your Myobrace appliance extra well to reduce the risk of reinfection. Soak your appliance in an antibacterial mouthwash or dish soap to kill all the germs.
Never use boiling water, the microwave, or the dishwasher to clean your appliance.
Not dissimilar to high-performance tyres on a car, longevity is not as important as performance. The MYOBRACE® performs well but often needs to be replaced for continued active treatment.
Note that with correct wear, the MYOBRACE® will wear and split after some months. This is an indication that compliance is good and the parent should be informed that there will be continuing charges for additional replacement appliances.
Patients cannot purchase this device on their own. To avoid over-treatment, patients can only utilise this medical device under the supervision of a trained professional. Please follow the guidelines.
Refund/Cancellation policy
Please see the policy on the sales page
Risks and Limitations of Myofunctional Therapy plus Myobrace appliance
Due to the many factors that influence the upper airway and breathing, outcomes are not always predictable and therefore not guaranteed.
Effectiveness depends on the compliance and long term maintenance of habits. Failure to adhere to instructions can lengthen treatment time and can adversely affect results. In some circumstances, it maybe necessary to discontinue treatment.
Completing myofunctional therapy treatment does not guarantee perfect breathing or oral and facial musculature for the rest of a person’s life. Therapy with help develop awareness of correct breathing, tongue posture, swallowing function, lip posture and eliminate habits, but without maintaining this awareness, old habits and muscle patterns can resurface months or years later. As long as an awareness of the myofunctional concern is maintained, relapse should not occur. You won’t be required to practice regular exercises, however, awareness of your newly learned habits for breathing and muscle function will need to be maintained.
The average length of treatment is 12 months. Total treatment time can sometimes be delayed beyond the original estimate. Pre-existing medical conditions, excessive or deficient facial growth, poor patient co-operation, broken appliances and missed review appointments are all factors that could lengthen time and affect the quality of the result.
Due to the Myobrace holding the lower jaw in a slightly different position, and reducing the influence of muscle pressure on the teeth, the movement of teeth is likely and there may be changes in your occlusion and in some cases, this can influence chewing and function. Please be aware that dental and orthodontic treatment may be required following this course, including but not limited to orthodontics, build ups and aesthetic treatment if gaps have opened. There is also a risk that the TMJ and surrounding muscles may experience pain or discomfort, if this is the case cease use immediately and contact us for direct guidance from Dr Seb. You must see your dentist or orthodontist at least every 3-6 months to monitor your dental health, and to avoid unwanted treatment treatment complications. We strongly advise you have an in person appointment with Dr Seb to achieve the best outcomes.
Consent
I confirm that I have read and understood the contents of the Adult Airway Stabilisation course. I acknowledge that I have had the opportunity to ask questions and discuss any concerns regarding my participation in the course, including its objectives, potential risks, benefits, and available alternatives. If I have any questions, I will get seek clarification before purchasing the course.
I also understand that there may be additional risks or unforeseen complications not explicitly listed in this document. Furthermore, I recognise that outcomes cannot be guaranteed.
I hereby give my informed consent to participate in the course, with the understanding that this decision is made voluntarily and based on a full awareness of the choices available to me.