What Happens When Oral Posture and Function Are Missed in Infancy
Guest Post by Kimmie Herrera, Myofunctional Therapist
OWNER of Smile and Airway Health
When oral posture and function don’t get off to a great start in infancy, the effects don’t simply disappear as a child grows; they evolve. What begins as a baby sized tongue-tie or mouth-breathing habit can ripple through development, shaping how a child’s face grows, how they breathe, and even how they hold tension in their body.
Dr. Dani Engle, who specializes in this age group, works hand in hand with families, often alongside other specialized allied health professionals, to help babies develop healthy oral function from the start. When that early support is in place, it lays the foundation for proper growth, easier breathing, and better sleep.
When those early challenges go unaddressed, the body learns to adapt or compensate, and that is where I come in. My focus is helping children, teens, and adults who have developed compensations over time and are now feeling the ripple effects in their facial growth, sleep, breathing, and posture.
From Babyhood to Early Childhood: The Foundation of the Face
In those early years, the way a baby breathes and rests their tongue truly matters. The lips should be sealed, the tongue resting gently suctioned against the palate, and breathing quietly through the nose. This pattern, along with healthy chewing and swallowing, guides facial growth and supports healthy airway development.
If those early patterns are off, such as when the tongue is restricted, the baby breathes through the mouth, or feeding is difficult, it can influence how the face and jaws grow. The palate may become narrow, the midface can lengthen, and the airway can become smaller.
As kids grow, parents might notice:
Open-mouth posture or separated lips
Snoring/noisy breathing, restless sleep, or tossing and turning
Crowded teeth or unclear speech
Constant stuffy noses or ear infections
These signs often mean the oral muscles aren’t doing their jobs effectively, and the earlier we can address that, the better.
The School-Age Years: Growing Bodies, Clever Compensations
Kids are incredibly adaptable. If they can’t breathe well through their nose or their tongue isn’t sitting where it should (gently suctioned to the palate), their bodies will find ways to make it work, though not always comfortably.
You might see a child with their head positioned forward to help open the airway or rounded shoulders from years of compensating. They might clench or grind their teeth, snore or breathe heavily at night, or seem tired and fidgety during the day. What looks like poor posture or “just bad sleep” is often the body’s way of coping with inefficient oral function.
In this age group, I often see:
Snoring, noisy breathing, or restless sleep
Daytime fatigue or trouble focusing
Speech distortions or mouth breathing
Clenching, grinding, or jaw tension
Persistent congestion or allergies
Dark circles under eyes
This is where myofunctional therapy shines. By retraining the tongue, lips, and breathing patterns and combining that with specialized body support and alignment from Dr. Dani, we can help kids find balance again.
Adolescence and Adulthood: The Lingering Effects
Fast forward a few years, and those same patterns can show up in new ways. Teens and adults might notice headaches, jaw pain, neck or shoulder tension, or even sleep issues that seem unrelated but often trace back to oral function.
Common signs I see in adults include:
Headaches or TMJ discomfort
Jaw clicking, clenching, or grinding
Neck and shoulder tightness
Snoring or sleep apnea
Chronic fatigue
Relapse after orthodontic treatment
The body is a master of compensation, but those compensations eventually catch up. The good news is that it is never too late to improve function and find relief. Even adults can retrain their muscles, improve nasal breathing, and experience better sleep and posture with the right care team.
It’s Never Too Late to Find Better Function
Whether we start in infancy or adulthood, the goal is the same: help the body work the way it’s meant to. By addressing oral posture and function, we support not just smiles but breathing, sleep, and overall wellbeing.
I love working alongside Dr. Dani because together, we get to connect the dots. Her specialized bodywork and my myofunctional therapy go hand in hand, helping patients of all ages move, breathe, and feel better in their own bodies. I’m sure that we can all agree that life is too short to not feel and be our best!
Kimmie’s Contact Info:
Telephone: (720) 339-8671
Email: hello@SmileandAirwayHealth.com
*Both in-person and online therapy sessions are available.
Kimmie Herrera - Myofunctional Therapist and
OWNER of Smile and Airway Health
Kimmie Herrera works with ages 4yo+ to improve function of the the mouth, tongue, muscles, and airway. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) uses a series of exercises and stretches, but also evaluates and manages the impact of certain anatomical inefficiencies.
The goals of OMT are to correct habits that have led to developmental and functional disorders. This includes:
tongue posture (tongue tie and/or tongue thrust)
mouth breathing
poor airway function (snoring, sleep apnea symptoms)
thumb or finger sucking along with other oral habits (nail biting, object chewing, pacifier use, etc)
teeth grinding (bruxism)
improper chewing and swallowing
orthodontic concerns (before, during and after orthodontic treatment)
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