Orthodontic World Institute

09/02/2026

24/12/2025

Warmest Christmas wishes from Barcelona Orthodontics World Institute.

10/11/2025

Breath • Tongue • Muscles • Sensory integration • Homeostasis

The oral cavity is a sensorimotor hub. Via the trigeminal nerve (V) it interacts with:
• VII (facial/lips), IX–X (pharynx, swallowing, airway reflexes), XII (tongue).
• III & IV (oculomotor, trochlear) contribute to gaze and head-posture control, which can indirectly influence orofacial function and airway route.

MFS-based stimulotherapy (hierarchy: nasal breathing → tongue-to-palate rest posture → swallowing → lip/mandible control) may help organize sensorimotor inputs, support neuroplasticity, and promote physiological balance/homeostasis. Reported benefits include improved orofacial function; potential cognitive effects (e.g., attention, learning) are plausible but require further study.

22/09/2025

Last Sunday in Wrocław we concluded the 17th and 18th editions of the modular training based on the MFS philosophy.

68 participants started, 64 completed the full cycle, and 59 earned the title of MFS Functional Orthodontic Therapist after meeting all requirements: completing the modules, passing two exams (intermediate and final), and submitting a case-study assignment. The title is conferred by the Orthodontic World Institute in Barcelona, founded by Prof. José Durán, within the program led by MFS Ambassador Dr. Monika Ośko.

Graduates leave with evidence-based MFS protocols and clinical skills aligned with the MFS hierarchy of functions and diagnostics. The training also covers the clinical use of MFS stimulators, which have demonstrated high effectiveness in treating orofacial functional disorders, with documented cases showing improvement and even resolution of malocclusions and skeletal discrepancies.

Lecturers: Prof. José Durán; Monika Ośko (Master in Orthodontics); Arleta Czuchryta, M.A. (Clinical Neurologopedist); Mira Rządzka, PhD (Health Sciences) (Neurologopedist).

The awards ceremony was highlighted by a lecture from Prof. Durán about his professional journey and passions. Diplomas were presented by Helena Durán (Director, Orthodontic World Institute), Prof. José Durán, Monika Ośko (MFS Ambassador), and Arleta Czuchryta (lecturer).

Participants included dentists and orthodontists, with the largest group comprised of speech therapists and neurologopedists.
We congratulate the best results, which confirm the high level of preparation:
• 1st place – Sandra Fira-Wasążnik
• 2nd place – Marta Wróblewska
• 3rd place – Krzysztof Bieniek

Honourable mentions: Anna Burzyńska, Maria Hensel-Mańkowska, Katarzyna Furmańczyk, Diana Kuczyńska-Kiełbasa, Michalina Pluszczewicz, Izabela Rudnik.

Thank you to all participants for your commitment and hard work. Congratulations on earning your qualifications — we wish you continued success in clinical practice.

13/09/2025

📢 Today we have exciting news and a wonderful occasion to celebrate!

Our preprint has just been published on Research Square:
Innovative Myofascial Release Technique (MRT) as Adjunct Therapy in Ankyloglossia Management.

This is a truly interdisciplinary publication, with contributions from:
👩‍⚕️ Monika Ośko – first author, MFS Ambassador, University of Barcelona
👩‍⚕️ Dr. Mira Rządzka and Msc Arleta Czuchryta-Kamińska – speech-language pathologists, adding a unique clinical perspective (Wrocław Medical University, Centro Medico NZOZ Łużyckie, Lubań, Poland)
🧑‍⚕️ Prof. Marcin Mikulewicz (Wrocław Medical University, Poland)
👨‍🏫 Prof. Maria Cristina Manzanares Céspedes and Prof. Meritxell Sánchez Molins (University of Barcelona, Spain)

In this article, we emphasize that effective post-frenotomy care is not limited to surgery itself, but must be grounded in functional re-education – in line with the philosophy of MFS, created by Prof. José Durán von Arx. He has long highlighted the central role of restoring proper functions (breathing, swallowing, tongue resting posture) in preventing relapse and supporting healthy craniofacial growth.

Our findings confirm that MRT + MFS support soft tissue remodeling, improve tongue mobility and strength, and may reduce the risk of scar formation after frenotomy.

🎂 Today is also special because Prof. Durán – the founder of the MFS philosophy – is celebrating his birthday! A perfect moment to honor both his vision and the outcomes of international collaboration.

👉 You can access the full article via QR code or DOI: https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7585789/v1

04/09/2025

✨ Today we are sharing an example of a final case report prepared by one of the participants of the MFS Modular Training (Edition XVIII).

👦 The case:
An 8-year-old boy presenting with multiple challenges in orofacial functions, including breathing, chewing and swallowing, as well as postural issues and parafunctions. Therapy was planned and conducted according to the hierarchy of orofacial motor functions defined in the MFS philosophy.

🔎 Functional MFS diagnosis revealed:
▪️ Impaired nasal breathing, with increased chest movements
▪️ Enlarged tonsils and adenoids affecting airway patency
▪️ Inefficient chewing with open mouth and food retention in the cheeks
▪️ Reduced tongue mobility

💡 Therapeutic approach:
Intervention was structured in 3 phases, combining MFS stimulators with interdisciplinary care (ENT consultation, adenotonsillectomy, functional training).

📈 After only 10 weeks of therapy, remarkable changes were observed:
👉 Improved nasal breathing during day and night
👉 Removal of adenoids enhanced airway patency
👉 Better lip posture and symmetry
👉 Noticeable improvement in body posture (shoulders, head position, rotation)
👉 Increased overbite and more efficient chewing with closed lips
👉 Child more engaged and aware during breathing and chewing exercises

🙌 The greatest improvements were achieved in breathing, chewing and body posture, confirming the effectiveness of MFS philosophy and the value of consistent interdisciplinary intervention.

This case report illustrates the high quality of work prepared within the MFS Modular Training – structured, clear, and clinically meaningful. 🌍 It also demonstrates how quickly function-based therapy can bring visible functional and aesthetic changes in children.

30/06/2025

With deep sadness that I have received the news of Professor John Mew’s passing. Since we first met at the orthodontic congress in Buffalo in 2006, we have shared many common ideas and a similar perspective on the importance of biological functions in craniofacial development. Over the years, we met regularly at IFUNA conferences, and in 2010, I had the honor of inviting Professor Mew to lecture at the Barcelona University and at the Orthodontic World Institute. There is no doubt about the enormous impact he had on raising awareness of how functions — nasal breathing, tongue posture, and muscular balance — shape the growth and health of the craniofacial complex. A particularly significant aspect of his concept was promoting forward mandibular growth as a way not only to improve facial profile but also to enlarge the airway and enhance breathing function, which plays a crucial role in the treatment of Class II malocclusions. His concepts, although regarded by the orthodontic community as experimental and controversial, undoubtedly opened new perspectives and inspired many professionals to look at facial development in a more holistic and functional way. He will remain an important and symbolic figure in the history of the functional approach to craniofacial development.

I memory of Prof John Mew
Profesor Jose Duran von Arx

22/05/2025

📣 New publication alert

Can function be achieved in a structurally compromised system🤔?
We believe the answer is yes — and we now have clinical evidence to support it🙌.

Our latest case report has just been published in an international, peer-reviewed Journal. 🤓.

This case demonstrates not only the possibility of restoring function in a structurally compromised system — but that it is the restored function itself that actively remodels the structure🔥.

Despite treatment being initiated after the third growth spurt, the patient showed documented skeletal and occlusal changes, supported by clinical and radiographic evidence.

It documents a comprehensive, non-extraction, interdisciplinary functional-orthodontic treatment of skeletal and dental open bite in a 15.5-year-old patient with functional breathing disturbances.

🔍 Based on the MFS (Multifunctional System) approach, the treatment combines:
✔ neuromuscular stimulation
✔ myofunctional re-education
✔ postural and respiratory correction
✔ individualized torque planning
✔️ interdisciplinary collaboration with a speech-language pathologist and physiotherapist

🖼 The article includes high-quality clinical and radiological images.

📄 Title:
Repeat, non-extraction, interdisciplinary functional-orthodontic treatment of skeletal and dental open bite in a 15.5-year-old patient with functional disturbances related to mouth breathing
👩‍⚕️ Authors: Monika Izabela Ośko, Mira Rządzka, José Durán von Arx

📎 Read the full article here:

https://irispublishers.com/ojdoh/pdf/OJDOH.MS.ID.000694.pdf

DOI: 10.33552/OJDOH.2025.08.000694

📍 We invite you to a training in Oslo, Norway! From the expertise of Barcelona's Ortodontic World Institute!

📅 Don’t wait – sign up now and take a step into the future.

Check out the program here:
www.mfs-world.com/PDF/MFS-Training_description_Norway.pdf

13/04/2025

🌬️ Breathe gently. Breathe mindfully. Breathe beautifully.

A few days ago, the world quietly celebrated World Breathing Day — a reminder that something as simple as breath is the foundation of balance, growth, and calm.
Today, we return to this thought — because every day is a good day to breathe better 💛

➡️ Conscious breathing begins with small things.
A moment. A pause. A nose. 👃

➡️ Nasal breathing is more than a healthy habit —
it's a strength that builds from within 💪

➡️ Breath influences the development of the face, tongue posture, bite, body posture…
and how we feel every single day 🌱

🧠 “Breathing patterns can be imprinted in the nervous system.
The earlier they're shaped, the more they support us.”

➡️ You don’t need a special day to remember
how powerful a calm, nasal breath can be.

✨ Want to be the boss? Breathe through your nose.

🌿 The MFS philosophy is based on supporting proper breathing from the earliest years.
The nasal stimulator gently increases airflow through the nose and helps restore healthy breathing patterns.

31/03/2025

📍 March highlights for MFS Philosophy

March was a month of important milestones and international recognition for the MFS approach 💡

🔹 The MFS Philosophy was represented by Monika Ośko (MFS Ambassador) at the 10th International Conference on Dentistry and Oral Health in Rome (March 13–15, 2025) 🇮🇹

🔸 The presentation included a lecture on the clinical applications of MFS with documented case studies
🔸 A practical workshop was held on the technique of Myofascial Release Therapy (MRT) based on an original protocol:
“Tool-Assisted Myofascial Release for the Oral Floor and Tongue: Enhancing Mobility and Supporting Frenulotomy”

🛠 During the workshop, a custom-designed therapeutic tool was introduced to support tongue mobility and oral floor release.

📄 The MRT protocol was also the subject of a scientific article, written by Monika Ośko and Prof. José Durán von Arx, and published in the Online Journal of Oral and Dental Health.

📚 March also marked the launch of two new editions of the MFS-Poland Modular Training Program (17 and 18) – with engaged and passionate participants!

The global presence of MFS is a reflection of its strong foundations in clinical reasoning, functional diagnostics, and evidence-based practice 🌍

02/03/2025

🦷 Functional Orthodontic Therapy During Growth – The Key to Harmonious Craniofacial Development 🔬

What Mechanisms Influence Craniofacial Growth?
✔ Excessive masseter muscle tension during growth may cause:
◾ Restricted growth of the alveolar processes, reducing the height of the lower facial third
◾ Short face (brachycephalic growth pattern)
◾ Class II malocclusion with deep bite and incisor inclination
◾ TMJ issues and dental crowding

🟢 MFS Philosophy – An Interdisciplinary Approach to Therapy
➡ Functional re-education – breathing, swallowing, muscle tone
➡ Torque individualization in orthodontic treatment

📸 In the images, you can observe the growth changes in a patient who underwent therapy based on the principles of MFS philosophy. Diagnosis and treatment focused on key aspects of normalizing muscle tension in the masseter and perioral muscles. The treatment included:
✔ Antibruxismus MFS stimulator
✔ Myofascial release therapy (MRT) for the oral floor and tongue, preceded by frenulotomy
✔ Orthodontic treatment with torque individualization

🔹 Therapy Goals:
✅ Stimulating the natural growth potential of skeletal bases
✅ Unlocking mandibular growth
✅ Restoring functional and neuromuscular balance

📅 Where can you learn more?
✅ Rome | March 13 – 10th Edition of the International Conference on Dentistry and Oral Health
✅ Kraków Poland November 22 – PTTM panel during the "Orthodontics in Practice" conference
✅ March 15 – Start of the 17th edition of the modular training program for specialists
✅Oslo starting in September - Sign up for MFS Philosophy training-Link below👇

👥 Orthodontic therapy is not just about shaping the bite – it also impacts function and the harmonious development of the entire craniofacial structure! 🦷✨

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yGZQ4chx570erjn1XQXlzAJZtVxChmp2Ltee_6DB_Ds/viewform?edit_requested=true

Check out the program here!
www.mfs-world.com/PDF/MFS-Training_description_Norway. pdf

31/01/2025

MFS at the International Conference in Rome!
We are delighted to announce that the MFS philosophy continues to evolve and gain international recognition! From March 13–15, 2024, the 10th edition of the International Conference "Dentistry and Oral Health" will take place in Rome, where MFS Ambassador Monika Ośko will represent our community as a speaker and workshop leader.

During the conference:
🔹 Lecture: Monika Ośko will present the MFS philosophy and its clinical applications through selected case studies.
🔹 Hands-on workshop: Participants will have the opportunity to attend an exclusive workshop:
"Tool-Assisted Myofascial Release for the Oral Floor and Tongue: Enhancing Mobility and Supporting Frenulotomy," demonstrating her MRT (Myofascial Release Technique) method and the tool designed for myofascial release.

This is a significant recognition and a proof to the growing appreciation of the MFS approach to craniofacial growth and development in the scientific community. Monika Ośko’s presence at this prestigious event is the result of her years of research and publications, including the book "Orthodontic Treatment According to the MFS Philosophy: A Causal Approach to the Problem of Craniofacial Growth and Development," co-authored with Prof. Jose Duran von Arx, as well as her article on the MRT method published in the Online Journal of Oral and Dental Health.

We invite all professionals to join the conference and follow our updates from the event. The MFS philosophy continues to advance, inspiring new generations of specialists to approach orthodontics holistically and functionally!

📍 Rome, March 13–15, 2024
📢 More information and registration: https://magnusconferences.com/dental/