Dr Shifa, who is the founder of the clinic We Little in Coimbatore, decided to explore the possibilities of using exercises to align the teeth naturally. “Myoline is the Myofunctional Therapy (face and neck exercise) protocol developed by us. It involves breath, muscle and sleep retraining. It’s a common myth that crooked teeth are caused by hereditary issues. However, crooked teeth can be fixed by correcting oral restrictions, myofunctional habits and dietary modifications. Instead of shrinking the jaws and closing the teeth mechanically, we align it naturally with some basic exercises. When children are young, we can predict if they will have crooked teeth or if they have jaw growth issues in the future. The younger they are (bones will be more flexible), the lesser the time needed for exercises and that too, for a few months. Our youngest patient is 2 years old and the oldest is 19 years old,” says Dr Shifa.

The key to success is in the early detection of problems. “There are many difficulties due to unidentified problems or late-diagnosis, leading to impaired brain development in formative years. So, parents should be careful in taking care of their kids’ dental problems,” stresses the dentist who has treated over 5,000 children with varied needs such as natural teeth straightening, myoline and painless dentistry.