LEADING THE WAY TO IMPROVED ORAL FUNCTIONS

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are maladaptive patterns of the oral and facial muscles, which may include improper resting postures of the lips or tongue and/or tongue thrust. Common causes of OMDs include a restricted airway due to allergies or enlarged tonsils, ankyloglossia (tongue tie), a thumb-sucking habit, prolonged use of a pacifier, family heredity, and/or other structural abnormalities.

Symptoms of OMDs may include open mouth resting posture of the lips, low forward resting posture of the tongue, difficulty with nasal breathing, high narrow arched palate, malocclusion, digit sucking habits, speech disorders, and/or difficulty with chewing and swallowing. OMDs may influence the growth of the jaw, and they may be associated with sleep disordered breathing, temporomandibular disorders (TMD), ankyloglossia (tongue tie), clenching/grinding, headaches, and facial/neck pain.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) helps to create, restore, and maintain a normal and harmonious muscle environment. OMT is used to help retrain maladaptive patterns of the oral and facial muscles. Therapy goals may focus on one or more of the following: functional nasal breathing patterns, normal resting posture of the lips and tongue, efficient chewing and swallowing patterns, and/or eliminating of thumb or tongue sucking habits. Treatment is intensive and requires daily practice and commitment for optimal results. Family involvement and support is critical for the treatment of children.

Treatment of OMDs is within the scope of practice of a speech-language pathologist, registered dental hygienist, dentist, and doctor who have received specialized education and training related to the orofacial complex. Treatment is best accomplished through a collaborative team approach with other professionals, which may include orthodontists, dentists, otolaryngologists (ENTs), allergists, chiropractors, osteopaths, and other body workers.

Visit the following online resources for more information:

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): www.asha.org

International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM): www.iaom.com