orofacial myofunctional therapy

Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT), or myofunctional therapy, is a specialized form of therapy that focuses on retraining and improving the coordination, strength, and function of the muscles in the face, tongue, lips, and jaw. It is designed to correct muscle imbalances and incorrect swallowing patterns, ultimately promoting proper oral posture and function. Myofunctional therapy is often used to address a range of issues, such as tongue thrust, open mouth posture, mouth breathing, messy eating, speech sound disorders, and thumb sucking, to enhance speech clarity, swallowing efficiency, and overall oral health.

Orofacial Myofunctional disorderS (OMDs)

According to the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association (ASHA), OMDs are patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature that interfere with normal growth, development, or function of orofacial structures. OMDs can be found in children, adolescents and adults. OMDs can co-occur with a variety of speech and swallowing disorders.

Learn more about Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

Causes of OMDs

  • Airway obstructions (deviated septum, large adenoids)

  • Craniofacial abnormalities

  • Improper use of pacifiers (past 12 months) and sippy cups

  • Neurological deficits

  • Oral habits such as thumb sucking

  • Structural anomalies

Signs and symptoms of OMDs

  • Articulation difficulties

  • Reduced intelligibility

  • Dental abnormalities

  • Lip-tie

  • Tongue-tie (ankyloglossia)

  • Mouth breathing

  • Open mouth posture

  • Picky eating habits

  • Messy eating

  • Problems with chewing and swallowing

  • Sleep issues

  • Teeth grinding

  • Thumb sucking

  • Tongue thrusting

Goals of myofunctional therapy

  • Normalize tongue and lip resting postures

  • Establish nasal breathing patterns

  • Eliminate improper chewing and swallowing patterns

  • Stabilize the dentition from extraneous orofacial muscle movement

  • Supporting the remediation of speech errors differently than some traditional methods

  • Address harmful oral habits including:

    • Prolonged pacifier use

    • Thumb and/or finger sucking

    • Fingernail, cheek, or lip biting

    • Tongue sucking

    • Clenching or grinding of the teeth

-Adapted from the IAOM website