Simultaneous rehabilitation of the tongue and breathing: a physiological necessity

Introduction: Pr. Delaire has understood since 2005 that functional therapy shouldn't try to rehabilitate a praxis but instead focus on the whole created by different oro-facial functions to ensure the creation of a global dynamic balance. That's why rehabilitation of the right tongue posture is a necessary condition for automation as nasal breathing; in the same meaning that rehabilitation of nasal breathing is a necessary condition for automation of the right tongue posture. Fortunately, nature can help us if we respect and follow physiological processes that take into account key points of « connectionism ». As a reminder that « learning isn't only the ability to produce an action, a behaviour that was unknown before, it's a process that need to inhibate automatical mental processes ».

Materials and methods: The author will develop his philosophy of « connectionism », based on his personal research, his readings on neuroscience and oro-facial functions and his forty years of clinical practice.

Conclusion: Orofacial functions influence each other and inhibition of each dysfunction is necessary to automate the newly obtained myofunctional balance.