Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy At The Breathe Institute
Tongues Up, Lips Closed, Healthy Breathing Through the Nose.
- Training oral muscles for proper swallowing
- Developing optimal tongue, lip, and jaw posture
- Promoting nasal and diaphragmatic breathing
- Supporting facial and airway growth in children
- Optimizing muscle development for jaw stability
- Stabilizing orthodontic treatment and preventing relapse
- Preparing and supporting patients before and after tongue-tie release
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy At The Breathe Institute
Tongues Up, Lips Closed, Healthy Breathing Through the Nose.
- Training oral muscles for proper swallowing
- Developing optimal tongue, lip, and jaw posture
- Promoting nasal and diaphragmatic breathing
- Supporting facial and airway growth in children
- Optimizing muscle development for jaw stability
- Stabilizing orthodontic treatment and preventing relapse
- Preparing and supporting patients before and after tongue-tie release
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy At The Breathe Institute
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is an individualized treatment program that re-trains and re-patterns the muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks, and face. By restoring proper oral posture at rest and during function, OMT supports healthy breathing, chewing, swallowing, speaking, and overall growth and development.
At The Breathe Institute, our team of highly trained myofunctional therapists works hand-in-hand with ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, and other specialists to provide comprehensive, airway-centered care for patients of all ages.
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy At The Breathe Institute
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is an individualized treatment program that re-trains and re-patterns the muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks, and face. By restoring proper oral posture at rest and during function, OMT supports healthy breathing, chewing, swallowing, speaking, and overall growth and development.
At The Breathe Institute, our team of highly trained myofunctional therapists works hand-in-hand with ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, and other specialists to provide comprehensive, airway-centered care for patients of all ages.
WHAT ARE OMDs?
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) occur when the muscles of the mouth, tongue, lips, or face do not function properly. These patterns can interfere with breathing, swallowing, chewing, speech, jaw growth, and even sleep.
Here are some common OMDs we see at The Breathe Institute—and how we help address them:
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
WHAT ARE OMDs?
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) occur when the muscles of the mouth, tongue, lips, or face do not function properly. These patterns can interfere with breathing, swallowing, chewing, speech, jaw growth, and even sleep.
Here are some common OMDs we see at The Breathe Institute—and how we help address them:
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
What it looks like: Lips apart, reliance on mouth breathing (especially at night), dry mouth, forward head posture.
Why it matters: Linked to narrow facial growth, orthodontic relapse, enlarged tonsils, poor sleep, and reduced oxygen intake.
How OMT helps: Strengthens lips and tongue for proper seal, trains nasal breathing endurance, integrates with ENT airway evaluation.
Why It Matters
The tongue plays a critical role in craniofacial growth and airway development. At rest, the tongue should sit against the roof of the mouth, gently guiding jaw expansion and stability. If tongue and lip muscles don’t function correctly, problems such as blocked airways, orthodontic relapse, TMJ pain, and sleep-disordered breathing often develop.
OMT addresses these root causes, creating long-term improvements in health, function, and quality of life.
BREATHE MYO
THERAPIST CARE
- Personalized – Every program is tailored to your needs and goals.
- Evidence-Based – Our team uses the latest research, therapeutic exercises, and behavior strategies.
- Collaborative – Therapy is integrated with ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, and sleep specialists.
- Flexible – Sessions are offered in-person at our California locations or virtually worldwide.
- Supportive – Therapists provide compassionate coaching, with progress you can see and feel.
Why Choose
The Breathe Institute
- Unmatched expertise in airway-focused OMT
- A global leader in research and education on tongue-tie, sleep, and oral development.
- A coordinated care model that looks at the whole person, not just the symptoms.
- A compassionate team that partners with you and your family at every step
Contact Us Today
GET IN CONTACT WITH A MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPIST
Why It Matters
The tongue plays a critical role in craniofacial growth and airway development. At rest, the tongue should sit against the roof of the mouth, gently guiding jaw expansion and stability. If tongue and lip muscles don’t function correctly, problems such as blocked airways, orthodontic relapse, TMJ pain, and sleep-disordered breathing often develop.
OMT addresses these root causes, creating long-term improvements in health, function, and quality of life.
BREATHE MYO THERAPIST CARE
- Personalized – Every program is tailored to your needs and goals.
- Evidence-Based – Our team uses the latest research, therapeutic exercises, and behavior strategies.
- Collaborative – Therapy is integrated with ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, and sleep specialists.
- Flexible – Sessions are offered in-person at our California locations or virtually worldwide.
- Supportive – Therapists provide compassionate coaching, with progress you can see and feel.
A Typical Journey Includes:
Comprehensive Assessment
Evaluation of tongue mobility, breathing patterns, oral posture, and muscle coordination.
Personalized Program
Customized exercises and strategies for your goals.
Ongoing Coaching
Regular sessions (in-person or virtual) for feedback and accountability.
Team Integration
Referrals and collaboration with medical/dental providers when needed.
Measurable Outcomes
Stronger tongue function, improved breathing, better sleep, and healthier growth.
A Typical Journey Includes:
Comprehensive Assessment
Evaluation of tongue mobility, breathing patterns, oral posture, and muscle coordination.
Personalized Program
Customized exercises and strategies for your goals.
Ongoing Coaching
Regular sessions (in-person or virtual) for feedback and accountability.
Team Integration
Referrals and collaboration with medical/dental providers when needed.
Measurable Outcomes
Stronger tongue function, improved breathing, better sleep, and healthier growth.
WHAT CAUSES OMDs?
Nasal Airway Interference - enlarged tonsils, adenoids, hypertrophied turbinates, and/or allergies. Anything that obstructs the nasal passages that will lead to mouth breathing.
Genetic Defects - like tongue ties, cleft palate, craniofacial abnormalities, and syndromes.
Oral Habits - digit sucker, extended pacifier and bottle use.
Diet - some research suggests that refined sugars and high processed foods have caused underdevelopment craniosacral structures
WHAT INFLUENCES OPTIMAL FACIAL & AIRWAY DEVELOPMENT?
HUMAN ANATOMY | Structures & Their Functions
JAWS
LIPS / CHEEKS
TONGUE FUNCTION & POSTURING
SWALLOWING PATTERNS
CHEWING PATTERNS
WHAT CAUSES OMDs?
Nasal Airway Interference - enlarged tonsils, adenoids, hypertrophied turbinates, and/or allergies. Anything that obstructs the nasal passages that will lead to mouth breathing.
Genetic Defects - like tongue ties, cleft palate, craniofacial abnormalities, and syndromes.
Oral Habits - digit sucker, extended pacifier and bottle use.
Diet - some research suggests that refined sugars and high processed foods have caused underdevelopment craniosacral structures
WHAT INFLUENCES OPTIMAL FACIAL & AIRWAY DEVELOPMENT?
HUMAN ANATOMY
Structures & Their Functions
JAWS
LIPS / CHEEKS
TONGUE FUNCTION & POSTURING
SWALLOWING PATTERNS
CHEWING PATTERNS
MEET OUR
OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPISTS
Our Breathe Myo team is composed of licensed, highly trained providers—including registered dental hygienists and speech-language pathologists—who specialize in OMT and are part of our multidisciplinary airway health team.
They are not only clinicians but also educators, mentors, and contributors to groundbreaking research in airway and sleep health. Each therapist is trained and mentored directly through The Breathe Institute’s world-renowned protocols with Dr. Soroush Zaghi.
Sanda Valcu-Pinkerton
COM®, RDHAP
Myofunctional Therapy Director
Maryam Norouz
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Lesley Kupiec
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Integrative Breathing Therapy Practitioner
Stephanie Estrada
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Pareya Dorri
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Sandraluz Gonzalez
RDH/ COM, Buteyko Breath Educator
Integrative Breathing Therapy Practitioner
Sarah Feldman
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Dr. Brianne Langlas
Sanda Valcu-Pinkerton
RDHAP, Therapy Director, COM®
Anna Gross
CCC-SLP, Oral, Motor, & Feeding
Maryam Norouz
RDH, Myofunctional Therapy
Lesley Kupiec
RDH, Myofunctional Therapy
MEET OUR
OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPISTS
Our Breathe Myo team is composed of licensed, highly trained providers—including registered dental hygienists and speech-language pathologists—who specialize in OMT and are part of our multidisciplinary airway health team.
They are not only clinicians but also educators, mentors, and contributors to groundbreaking research in airway and sleep health. Each therapist is trained and mentored directly through The Breathe Institute’s world-renowned protocols with Dr. Soroush Zaghi.
Sanda
Valcu-Pinkerton
COM®, RDHAP
Therapy Director
Maryam Norouz
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Lesley Kupiec
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Stephanie Estrada
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Pareya Dorri
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Sandraluz Gonzalez
RDH/ COM®,
Buteyko Breath Educator
Integrative Breathing Therapy Practitioner
Sarah Feldman
RDH, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist
Sanda Valcu-Pinkerton
RDHAP, Therapy Director, COM®
Anna Gross
CCC-SLP, Oral, Motor, & Feeding
Maryam Norouz
RDH, Myofunctional Therapy
Lesley Kupiec
RDH, Myofunctional Therapy
215+ GOOGLE REVIEWS
HOW PROVIDERS & PATIENTS ARE IMPACTED BY THE BREATHE INSTITUTE
Brooke Aljilani
The Breathe Institute is fantastic! As a Speech Pathologist that is trained in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, I have attended training at TBI and can say the team is dynamic, professional, and truly cares about bringing optimal quality of life for their patients.
As a mom, I can attest that Dr. Zaghi's surgical skill releasing my children's posterior ties was the finest. His team made the whole process seamless from prep for the surgery through follow-up. I highly recommend TBI both for professionals seeking education and for patients seeking care!
Kevin Chon
I had an adult tongue tie procedure done here. It was something I often questioned if it was worth it or not at my age, but I'm glad I did it. Dr Zaghi is great and the procedure was relatively painless and quick recovery.
I want to highlight Maryam Norouz, who was my myofunctional therapist. Doing a bunch of Zoom calls sticking out your tongue is not really what I'd consider fun and is quite awkward, but she was really great at making you feel comfortable, patient, and personable — and at the end what was a very awkward thing was totally fine.
She was also super helpful in helping me process some other potential breathing issues and steps forward, which is just as valuable as her help with the myo therapy. She’s a great asset and you guys are lucky to have her. Great team overall.
Moataz B
Maryam has been helping me with myofunctional therapy and I’ve experienced huge progress. Incredibly thankful for her and the TBI team.
Such a pleasure to work with them.
215+ GOOGLE REVIEWS
HOW PROVIDERS & PATIENTS ARE IMPACTED BY THE BREATHE INSTITUTE
Brooke Aljilani
The Breathe Institute is fantastic! As a Speech Pathologist that is trained in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, I have attended training at TBI and can say the team is dynamic, professional, and truly cares about bringing optimal quality of life for their patients.
As a mom, I can attest that Dr. Zaghi's surgical skill releasing my children's posterior ties was the finest. His team made the whole process seamless from prep for the surgery through follow-up. I highly recommend TBI both for professionals seeking education and for patients seeking care!
Kevin Chon
I had an adult tongue tie procedure done here. It was something I often questioned if it was worth it or not at my age, but I'm glad I did it. Dr Zaghi is great and the procedure was relatively painless and quick recovery.
I want to highlight Maryam Norouz, who was my myofunctional therapist. Doing a bunch of Zoom calls sticking out your tongue is not really what I'd consider fun and is quite awkward, but she was really great at making you feel comfortable, patient, and personable — and at the end what was a very awkward thing was totally fine.
She was also super helpful in helping me process some other potential breathing issues and steps forward, which is just as valuable as her help with the myo therapy. She’s a great asset and you guys are lucky to have her. Great team overall.
Moataz B
Maryam has been helping me with myofunctional therapy and I’ve experienced huge progress. Incredibly thankful for her and the TBI team.
Such a pleasure to work with them.
Why Choose The Breathe Institute
- Unmatched expertise in airway-focused OMT
- A global leader in research and education on tongue-tie, sleep, and oral development.
- A coordinated care model that looks at the whole person, not just the symptoms.
- A compassionate team that partners with you and your family at every step
Contact Us Today
GET IN CONTACT WITH A MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPIST
Why Choose The Breathe Institute
- Unmatched expertise in airway-focused OMT.
- A global leader in research and education on tongue-tie, sleep, and oral development.
- A coordinated care model that looks at the whole person, not just the symptoms.
- A compassionate team that partners with you and your family at every step.
Contact Us Today
GET IN CONTACT WITH A MYOFUNCTIONAL THERAPIST
