03/27/2026
Looking at the mouth is not the whole story.
In myofunctional therapy, we have to widen the lens.
Posture matters.
When the head shifts forward, airway position can be affected. The body will adapt to keep air moving — even if that means changing how we breathe, how the jaw rests, or where the tongue sits.
Forward head posture has been associated with:
• Increased use of neck and shoulder muscles for breathing instead of the diaphragm
• Changes in resting position of the jaw, lips, and tongue
Over time, this can be associated with:
• Jaw tension, clenching, or grinding
• Compensatory patterns such as a shift away from consistent nasal breathing at rest
And it’s not one-directional.
Posture and oral function are constantly influencing each other.
This is why we don’t just look at the mouth.
We look at the whole system.