23/02/2026
Ten years ago, when I began teaching myofunctional therapy, I spent a lot of my time explaining what it even was.
Most professionals had never heard of it.
Many dismissed it.
Some openly challenged it.
Airway conversations were fringe.
Tongue posture was considered minor.
Mouth breathing was “just a habit.”
Today, the landscape looks very different.
Breathing is being discussed at dental conferences.
Orthodontists are questioning relapse patterns.
Pediatric dentists are screening for airway risk.
Speech-language pathologists are collaborating more intentionally.
Is every specialty fully aligned? No.
But awareness has shifted dramatically.
Ten years ago, we were trying to justify the importance of oral rest posture.
Today, entire practices are being built around airway-centered care.
We’ve seen research expand.
We’ve seen parents become educated consumers.
We’ve seen interdisciplinary collaboration grow.
And yet, oral dysfunction is still everywhere.
Children are still mouth breathing.
Expansion without habit change still relapses.
Adults are still living with untreated functional patterns that affect sleep, posture, and long-term stability.
So, are we winning the war?
I believe we are winning the awareness battle.
But the real shift will come when myofunctional therapy is no longer viewed as supplemental but foundational.
In the last decade, I’ve watched over two thousand clinicians step into this work. I’ve seen hygienists become airway advocates. I’ve seen orthodontists rethink retention. I’ve seen SLPs expand their lens.
The field is maturing.
And what excites me most isn’t how far we’ve come, it’s how much more collaborative the future feels.
The next ten years will not be about defending myofunctional therapy.
They will be about integrating it.
And that’s when the real transformation begins.
By Sarah K. Hornsby
