Smile Tone

Smile Tone Restoring orofacial function through myofunctional therapy for ages 3+ in Brisbane and Online. Creating better orofacial habits for all ages.

04/09/2026

Cheree attended the ASTOT conference last weekend in Bali. She spoke about the functional frenectomy and orofacial pain…and she fit in some relaxation!

🔴👅 What does laser therapy have to do with Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?Quite a lot, actually!When we’re working with...
18/08/2026

🔴👅 What does laser therapy have to do with Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?

Quite a lot, actually!

When we’re working with the tongue, jaw and facial muscles, sometimes the tissues we’re asking to move differently are also tight, tender, fatigued, inflamed or recovering from a procedure.

That’s where our MLS® Laser can be a useful adjunct to treatment.

MLS uses specific wavelengths of therapeutic light to create a process called photobiomodulation — where light energy interacts with cells and supports normal cellular processes involved in pain modulation, inflammation and tissue repair.

Depending on the individual, we may incorporate MLS Laser Therapy when working with:

👅 Tongue & floor-of-mouth tension
Supporting comfortable movement when tissues are tight, tender or fatigued.

😬 Jaw & facial muscle discomfort
Including muscular tension and some presentations associated with TMD and clenching.

🦷 Before & after oral procedures
Including functional frenuloplasty and some dental procedures, where supporting tissue comfort and recovery may be beneficial.

🙌 Orofacial Release
Used alongside our manual techniques when working with tension and mobility through the jaw, face, tongue, floor of mouth and surrounding tissues.

But here’s the important part…

The laser doesn’t retrain function.

It doesn’t teach a tongue where to rest, change a swallowing pattern or establish nasal breathing.

That’s the job of OMT.

We think of the different approaches as having different roles:

🔴 MLS Laser → supports the tissue environment
🙌 Manual therapy → works with tension and mobility
👅 OMT → retrains movement, coordination and functional patterns

Sometimes, creating a more comfortable environment for movement can make it easier to work on the function we’re ultimately trying to change.

Swipe through ➡️ to learn a little more about how we use MLS Laser Therapy at Smile Tone.

®LaserTherapy

14/08/2026

🔴 Why do we sometimes use MLS® Laser Therapy during OMT?

You may have spotted our laser making an appearance in the treatment room — but what exactly is it doing?

MLS® Laser Therapy is a form of photobiomodulation.

Rather than cutting or heating tissue like a surgical laser, therapeutic light is delivered into the tissues where it interacts with cellular processes involved in inflammation, pain modulation and tissue repair.

Depending on the individual presentation, we may incorporate MLS laser alongside OMT or Orofacial Release when working with:

• jaw and orofacial discomfort
• TMJ-related symptoms
• tight or tender facial and oral tissues
• floor-of-mouth and tongue tension
• muscle fatigue or discomfort
• post-dental or oral surgical recovery
• preparation and rehabilitation surrounding functional frenuloplasty

But here’s the important distinction:

The laser doesn’t teach the tongue how to move.

It doesn’t correct a swallowing pattern or establish nasal breathing.

That’s where therapy comes in.

Instead, MLS laser may be used as an adjunct to help manage pain, inflammation or tissue irritability and support recovery — potentially creating a more comfortable environment in which we can work on movement and function.

👅 OMT retrains function.
🙌 Manual therapy works with mobility and tension.
🔴 Photobiomodulation supports the tissue environment.

Different tools. Different jobs. Used according to the needs of the individual patient.

®LaserTherapy

10/08/2026

🦷👅 Where does Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy fit into orthodontic care?

Orthodontic treatment is about much more than creating a beautiful smile.

It’s about creating a smile that is functional, stable and designed to last.

Orthodontics focuses on the structure of the teeth and jaws.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy focuses on the function of the muscles that influence those structures every day.

OMT may be beneficial:

✅ Before orthodontic treatment
• Identifying habits such as mouth breathing, thumb sucking, tongue thrust and poor tongue posture.
• Preparing the orofacial muscles and oral posture to support efficient tooth movement.

✅ During orthodontic treatment
• Reinforcing healthy breathing, tongue posture and swallowing patterns.
• Supporting adaptation to braces or aligners through improved muscle coordination.

✅ After orthodontic treatment
• Helping maintain healthy oral habits.
• Supporting long-term stability by addressing persistent functional patterns that may contribute to relapse.

Teeth are constantly influenced by the gentle forces of the tongue, lips and cheeks.

When function and structure work together, they can complement one another in supporting long-term orthodontic outcomes.

At Smile Tone, we enjoy working collaboratively with orthodontists, dentists and other healthcare professionals to help patients achieve not only straighter teeth, but healthier function.

🦷 Orthodontics changes the hardware.
👅 OMT supports the software.
🤝 Together, they create a stronger foundation for lasting results.

🧠👅 Smile Tone Clinical Skills LabThere’s nothing like getting the whole team together, getting hands-on and learning fro...
08/08/2026

🧠👅 Smile Tone Clinical Skills Lab

There’s nothing like getting the whole team together, getting hands-on and learning from each other!

This week we held a Smile Tone Clinical Skills Lab, focusing on two areas we use within the clinic — MLS® Laser Therapy and Orofacial Release techniques.

We worked through our MLS laser protocols, treatment techniques and clinical decision-making for different presentations, including jaw and orofacial pain, muscle tension, inflammation, tissue recovery and post-procedure care.

Then it was time to get hands-on with our Orofacial Release techniques — refining how we assess and work with the jaw and facial muscles, tongue, floor of mouth, suprahyoid and infrahyoid regions, and the fascial and muscular connections throughout the head and neck.

One of the things we love about these sessions is being able to feel, practise, question and compare techniques with each other.

It also helps ensure that, while every clinician brings their own experience and skills to the treatment room, our team continues to develop a consistent clinical approach.

Because continuing education isn’t always about sitting in a lecture theatre.

Sometimes the best learning happens with your colleagues, a treatment chair, a laser… and everyone volunteering to be the patient! 😂

Always learning. Always refining. And always looking for better ways to support our patients. 💜🧡

®LaserTherapy

06/08/2026

👃 Could narrowing at the nose affect the airway further down?

The upper airway functions as one connected system—from the nostrils and nasal valve to the soft palate, tongue base and throat.

The nasal valve is one of the narrowest regions of the nasal airway. If its side wall draws inward during inhalation, airflow resistance can increase considerably.

This may result in:

• increased breathing effort
• a sensation of nasal blockage
• nasal flaring or visible nostril collapse
• mouth breathing
• snoring or disrupted sleep
• difficulty tolerating exercise or deeper breathing

When air has to move through a restricted nasal passage, stronger negative pressure may be generated during inhalation.

Further down, the pharynx is a soft, muscular and potentially collapsible tube. During sleep, the muscles that help hold it open naturally reduce their activity.

For someone who is already anatomically or neuromuscularly vulnerable, increased resistance upstream may contribute to narrowing around the soft palate, lateral throat walls or tongue base.

Nasal obstruction may also encourage mouth opening. This can alter jaw and tongue position and, in some people, increase the collapsibility of the pharyngeal airway.

However, nasal valve collapse does not automatically mean that someone has sleep apnoea.

Sleep-disordered breathing is multifactorial and may involve:

• nasal resistance
• enlarged tonsils or adenoids
• soft-palate or tongue-base collapse
• jaw and craniofacial structure
• sleep position
• reduced airway muscle responsiveness
• weight, hormones and other health factors

At Smile Tone, we observe nasal airflow, breathing effort, mouth posture, tongue function and signs that further airway assessment may be appropriate.

Depending on the findings, patients may be directed to an ENT, sleep physician, dentist, orthodontist or other relevant healthcare professional.

Because improving breathing starts with understanding where the resistance is occurring—and why.

30/07/2026

👅 The tongue is only as free as the tissues beneath it.

When people think about tongue function, they often focus on the tongue itself.

But underneath the tongue lies a complex network of muscles, fascia, nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue known as the floor of the mouth.

For the tongue to lift, elevate, retract and move efficiently during chewing, swallowing, speech and nasal breathing, these tissues need to glide smoothly.

When the floor of the mouth is under excessive tension, the tongue may compensate by recruiting other muscles or adopting less efficient movement patterns.

This may contribute to:
• reduced tongue mobility
• difficulty maintaining tongue-to-palate posture
• compensatory swallowing patterns
• jaw and neck tension
• clenching
• altered speech production
• inefficient chewing
• mouth breathing in some individuals

At Smile Tone, we don’t just look at the tongue.

We assess the entire orofacial system.

Our Orofacial Release sessions combine neuromyofascial techniques, gentle intra-oral release, MLS laser photobiomodulation and myofunctional therapy to help optimise tissue mobility and support more efficient function.

It’s important to remember that every person is different. Tissue tension is just one of many factors that can influence tongue function, alongside anatomy, airway health, neuromuscular control and overall health.

✨ Sometimes improving function starts by creating a better environment for movement.

27/07/2026

😬🦷 Are your teeth touching right now?

If you’re not eating, swallowing or speaking…

they probably shouldn’t be.

One of the foundational principles of healthy orofacial function is:

👄 Lips together
👅 Tongue on the palate
🦷 Teeth apart
👃 Breathe through the nose

Many people are surprised to learn that the teeth are not designed to remain in contact throughout the day.

Yet chronic daytime clenching and nighttime grinding are incredibly common.

Why?

Because clenching isn’t always just a habit.

For some people, it may be a subconscious strategy to improve stability and sensory feedback.

This can occur in association with:
• hypermobility and joint instability
• airway and breathing challenges
• poor tongue posture
• sleep disruption
• postural compensation patterns
• nervous system dysregulation

The body is constantly adapting.

Sometimes the jaw becomes part of that adaptation.

Over time, however, excessive clenching may contribute to:
• headaches
• jaw pain
• tooth wear
• facial tension
• TMJ symptoms

Understanding why the body is clenching is often just as important as addressing the clenching itself.

🦷 Teeth are for chewing food.
Not for holding your body together.

📚✈️ Never stop learning. Never stop asking why.This week, Cheree has been attending an advanced course with Dr Steve Olm...
28/06/2026

📚✈️ Never stop learning. Never stop asking why.

This week, Cheree has been attending an advanced course with Dr Steve Olmos, expanding her knowledge in sleep medicine, temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and motor nerve reflex testing, and the complex interactions between breathing, the nervous system and orofacial function.

One of the things we’re most passionate about at Smile Tone is looking beyond the symptoms.

Jaw pain, headaches, poor sleep, mouth breathing, clenching, fatigue or facial tension rarely occur in isolation. They’re often the result of multiple interacting factors involving the airway, muscles, joints, nervous system and overall health.

Courses like these continue to reinforce an important principle:

The body is always trying to adapt.

Our role isn’t simply to treat a symptom—it’s to understand why that symptom is occurring in the first place.

Sometimes the most valuable outcome of an assessment isn’t a treatment…

It’s helping someone understand the underlying contributors to their symptoms and guiding them towards the right health professionals to support their care.

The more we learn, the better we can connect the dots, collaborate with our colleagues, and help our patients navigate their health journey with confidence.

Because the goal isn’t just symptom relief…

It’s understanding the whole picture.

🧠 Keep learning.
🤝 Keep collaborating.
❤️ Keep putting patients first.

🎨👅🦶 Karina’s talents don’t stop at the clinic…Many of our patients know Karina as a caring and skilled Orofacial Myofunc...
22/06/2026

🎨👅🦶 Karina’s talents don’t stop at the clinic…

Many of our patients know Karina as a caring and skilled Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist, but what you may not know is that she’s also a talented artist.

Karina recently painted this beautiful canvas representing the fascinating connections between the tongue, the body, and even the feet through the fascial system.

The body isn’t simply a collection of separate parts.

Instead, it’s connected by a continuous web of connective tissue called fascia, which helps transmit force, movement, sensory information and tension throughout the body.

One fascial pathway that has received increasing attention is the Deep Front Line, described by anatomist and bodyworker Thomas Myers.

This line runs from the feet and legs, through the pelvis, diaphragm, throat and tongue, creating a fascinating “inside core” connection throughout the body.

Researchers and clinicians continue to explore how tongue posture, breathing patterns, fascial tension and whole-body posture may influence one another.

While there is still much to learn, it’s a fascinating reminder that the tongue doesn’t function in isolation.

At Smile Tone, we love these conversations about the connections between breathing, posture, movement and oral function.

And we love discovering hidden talents within our team too!

Well done, Karina — artist and therapist extraordinaire. 🎨✨

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86 Brookes Street, Fortitude Valley
Brisbane, QLD
4006

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 2pm

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