Is Your Child's Mouth Working the Way It Was Designed To?
Breathing, chewing, swallowing, tongue posture, and jaw development are all connected. When one part of the system isn't functioning efficiently, children often develop compensation patterns that can affect growth, sleep, and overall oral function.
The mouth is designed to do much more than eat and speak. Healthy oral function depends on coordinated movement of the tongue, jaw, lips, palate, neck, diaphragm, and the rest of the body. When one part of this system isn't working efficiently, children often adapt by developing compensation patterns that allow them to function—but not always as effectively as they could.
Parents may notice concerns such as mouth breathing, snoring, restless sleep, teeth grinding, tongue thrust, speech concerns, picky eating, difficulty chewing certain foods, open-mouth posture, or challenges following a tongue tie release. Other children may be preparing for palate expansion or have been referred for myofunctional therapy by their dentist or orthodontist.
Common reasons families seek an evaluation include:
- Mouth breathing
- Snoring or restless sleep
- Teeth grinding
- Open-mouth posture
- Tongue thrust
- Speech concerns
- Difficulty chewing or swallowing
- Gagging or choking easily
- Picky or selective eating
- Thumb or finger sucking
- High, narrow palate
- Crowded teeth
- Previous tongue or lip tie release
- Preparing for a palate expander
- Referred for myofunctional therapy
Every child is different. Rather than focusing on a single symptom, we evaluate how the entire body contributes to oral function and work closely with families and other healthcare providers to develop an individualized plan of care.
Our Collaborative Airway Approach
No single provider can address every aspect of airway and oral function. The best outcomes happen when experienced healthcare professionals work together to understand the whole child—not just one part of the problem.
At City Point Chiropractic, we believe airway health and oral function are about much more than a tongue tie, palate expander, or a single exercise. Children often benefit most when care is coordinated between multiple providers, each bringing their own area of expertise.
Depending on your child's needs, we frequently collaborate with:
- Pediatricians
- Airway-focused pediatric dentists
- Orthodontists
- Myofunctional therapists
- Speech-language pathologists
- Occupational therapists
- Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) physicians
- Other pediatric specialists
One child may benefit from bodywork and myofunctional therapy alone, while another may require a frenectomy or palate expansion as part of their care. Some children benefit from treatment before a procedure to reduce tension and improve mobility, while others need support afterward as they learn to use their new range of motion more effectively.
Rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach, we focus on understanding your child's anatomy, movement patterns, oral function, breathing, and overall development. Our role is to help families make informed decisions while working alongside trusted providers to achieve the best possible outcome.
Our Assessment & Treatment Approach
Every child receives an individualized evaluation designed to understand how the entire body contributes to breathing, oral function, posture, and movement—not just what is happening inside the mouth.
Your child's evaluation begins with a detailed discussion of their medical history, oral habits, breathing patterns, sleep concerns, feeding history, previous dental or orthodontic treatment, and any recommendations from your dentist, orthodontist, or myofunctional therapist.
We then perform a comprehensive assessment that may include:
- Breathing patterns
- Tongue mobility and resting posture
- Jaw mobility
- Neck and spinal movement
- Posture and body alignment
- Cranial motion
- Fascial tension
- Primitive reflexes
- Overall movement coordination
Based on our findings, treatment may include a combination of:
Gentle Chiropractic Care
Gentle chiropractic adjustments help restore healthy motion throughout the spine, ribs, jaw, and extremities while supporting efficient movement and nervous system function.
Craniosacral Therapy (CST)
Using gentle hands-on techniques, Craniosacral Therapy helps reduce tension throughout the head, jaw, neck, palate, and surrounding tissues to improve comfort and mobility.
Intraoral Bodywork
When appropriate, gentle intraoral techniques help address restrictions within the muscles and connective tissues of the cheeks, tongue, palate, and jaw. These techniques are commonly used before and after frenectomies to support improved mobility and function.
Developmental Movement & DNS
Efficient oral function depends on more than the mouth alone. Through Developmental Neuro Stabilization (DNS), movement-based rehabilitation, and age-appropriate exercises, we help children develop better posture, breathing mechanics, stability, and coordination that support long-term oral function.
Home Care
Parents receive individualized recommendations, exercises, and positioning strategies to reinforce progress between visits and complement treatment provided by other members of the healthcare team.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choosing care for your child can feel overwhelming. Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often from families beginning their airway and oral function journey.
Does every child with a tongue tie need a frenectomy?
No. Every child is different. Some children function very well despite having a visible tongue tie, while others experience significant restrictions that affect feeding, breathing, swallowing, speech, or overall oral function. Our recommendations are based on function—not appearance alone. We believe every child deserves a comprehensive evaluation before deciding on the most appropriate course of care.
Do you perform frenectomies or provide myofunctional therapy?
No. We do not perform frenectomies or provide formal myofunctional therapy. Instead, we work closely with experienced airway-focused pediatric dentists, orthodontists, and myofunctional therapists to help prepare children before treatment and support them afterward as part of a collaborative healthcare team.
Can chiropractic care help while my child has a palate expander?
Yes. We commonly care for children before, during, and after orthodontic treatment, including palate expanders, as part of a collaborative treatment approach.
As the upper jaw and surrounding tissues gradually adapt during expansion, some children experience temporary jaw soreness, facial tension, headaches, neck discomfort, or muscle tightness. While not every child experiences these symptoms, they can occur as the body adjusts to these changes.
Gentle chiropractic care, Craniosacral Therapy (CST), and soft tissue techniques may help reduce musculoskeletal tension throughout the jaw, neck, upper back, and surrounding tissues while supporting comfort and healthy movement during treatment. Our care is designed to complement the treatment provided by your orthodontist or airway-focused dentist—not replace it.
Why is bodywork recommended before or after a frenectomy?
Many children develop compensation patterns throughout the jaw, tongue, neck, and surrounding muscles over time. Preparing the body before a frenectomy may help reduce tension and improve mobility, while post-procedure care focuses on helping children adapt to their new range of motion and encouraging more efficient movement patterns as they heal.
Gentle chiropractic care, Craniosacral Therapy, intraoral bodywork, and movement-based exercises are often incorporated as part of a comprehensive treatment plan in collaboration with your child's dentist and myofunctional therapist.
Can chiropractic care replace other treatments?
No. Chiropractic care is one piece of a comprehensive care plan. Depending on your child's needs, we may recommend collaboration with your pediatrician, airway-focused dentist, orthodontist, myofunctional therapist, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist, or other healthcare professionals to provide the most complete, individualized care possible.
Ready to Schedule an Evaluation?
Whether your child has been referred for myofunctional therapy, is preparing for or recovering from a frenectomy, is undergoing palate expansion, or you're simply concerned about their breathing, oral function, or overall development, we're here to help.
At City Point Chiropractic, we combine gentle pediatric chiropractic care, Craniosacral Therapy, intraoral bodywork, Developmental Neuro Stabilization (DNS), and collaborative care with experienced airway providers to support healthier movement, breathing, and oral function. Our goal is to help children thrive by addressing the whole body—not just one part of the problem.
Ready to get started? Call us today at (817) 259-1300 or tap below to schedule your child's evaluation.
