Meet Brittney Abraham
RDH, Myofunctional Therapist
Brittney has been licensed as a Dental Hygienist since 2006 after graduating from Argosy University. Brittney has always enjoyed learning new things and in 2023, she became interested in Myofunctional therapy, where therapists assess and treat Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs), which can cause difficulties with breathing, swallowing, sleeping, chewing and speaking. She enrolled and graduated from the MyoMentor program. Brittney opened Root Relief Myofunctional Therapy, LLC in September of 2023 while still practicing hygiene Mondays-Thursdays and offering Myofunctional therapy on Fridays. She also has taken classes on breathing to be able to add that into her therapy. She is excited to help patients with their myofunctional symptoms and is passionate and dedicated about helping patients get to the root cause, achieving optimal oral and facial muscle function, leading to improved overall health and well-being. In her spare time, Brittney loves to spend time with her husband, Dave and three kids: Ashlyn, Logan & Olivia. They enjoy life on their farm and spending time at their family's cabin in northern MN.
Why Myofunctional Therapy?
Myofunctional therapy is similar to physical therapy for the muscles of your face, mouth, tongue and neck. This therapy has also been called Orofacial Myology & Tongue thrust therapy in the past. These personalized exercises help retrain and restore normal function to the muscles and restore the correct resting posture of the tongue, which aids in speaking, swallowing, chewing, breathing and sleeping. The focus of myofunctional therapy is the airway and really getting to the root cause of your OMD symptoms.
What are some possible symptoms of patients who have Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders?
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Sleep Disordered Breathing, including fatigue/poor sleep, constricted airway, snoring and sleep apnea
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Mouth breathing
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Tongue thrust, tongue-tie, low tongue posture
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Headaches, neck/shoulder tension
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TMJ/Facial pain
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Bruxism/teeth grinding
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Open bite/crossbite
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Speech therapy/lisp
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Digestive problems
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Increased Gag Reflux
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Difficulty nursing (infants)
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Oral habits, including thumb sucking
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Ear infections, allergies/asthma
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ADHD, troubles in school
Myofunctional therapy is beneficial for both children (age 4 and older) and adults to help improve issues with breathing, swallowing,
tongue-ties and mouth breathing. Children under the age of 4 with OMDs would benefit from Oral Motor and Feeding Therapy.
In children, the goal is to help prevent negative habits from causing further problems down the road.
There are 4 main goals of Myofunctional Therapy:
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nasal breathing
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lip seal
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proper tongue position
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and proper swallowing pattern
ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can also help with:
Speech and Language
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help improve speech and language by addressing OMDs that can cause articulation errors, phonological disorders, and other speech impairments.
Sleep Apnea and Snoring
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can improve breathing and reduce symptoms of sleep apnea and snoring by strengthening the muscles of the mouth, tongue and throat.
Chewing and Swallowing
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help improve chewing and swallowing by addressing OMDs that can cause difficulty with these functions.
Dental and Facial Development
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can promote proper dental and facial development by correcting OMDs that can cause malocclusion and other orthodontic problems, especially if treated early in children.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD)
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help alleviate symptoms of TMD by correcting OMDs that can cause jaw pain, clicking, and popping.
Head and Neck Pain
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can help reduce head and neck pain by correcting OMDs that can cause tension and muscle imbalances.
What does Myofunctional Therapy look like?
A personalized FREE evaluation will need to be completed, in person, prior to starting therapy. Once starting therapy, Myofunctional therapy sessions usually last 30-45 minutes and are scheduled once every two weeks, to start, with an advanced and specialized trained Myofunctional Therapist. Usually, a total of 12-15 Myofunctional therapy sessions are needed for treatment. The sessions can be in person or virtual. Brittney will work with your dentist, orthodontist and other health care professionals to make therapy a simple and easy process.
Contact Us
Office Location
106 3rd Ave. NW
Arlington, MN 55307
Contact
507-766-7789
Opening Hours
Fridays
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Monday- Thursdays available upon request and availability.
5:30 pm - 8:00pm