Myofunctional Therapy

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

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

What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is a systematic, multidisciplinary approach performed by a licensed professional. OMDs require an interdisciplinary team including, but not limited to: Speech Pathology, Dentistry-tethered oral tissue trained, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy who have specialized training in orofacial myology. OMT is a not a "cookie cutter" approach and involves an individualized program with a multidisciplinary team to help the patient retrain dysfunctional, adaptive patterns of muscle function for a healthy orofacial environment.
Myofunctional therapy targets goals, such as improving oral rest posture, establishing nasal breathing patterns, eliminating oral habits, and correcting swallowing patterns.

Examples of OMDs include one or a combination of the following:

Thumb and finger sucking habits
Open oral resting posture-mouth breathing
A forward resting posture of the tongue between or against the teeth
Tongue Thrust (tongue between the teeth while swallowing)
Tongue, lip, and cheek ties
Jaw malocclusions (such as an overbite, underbite, or open bite)

OMDs are often related to, or can contribute to, a variety of dental disorders, including:

Malocclusion (improper alignment of the teeth)
Orthodontic relapse
Changes associated with abnormal jaw growth and position
Airway Obstruction (ex . enlarged adenoids, or deviated septum)
Speech sound production
Sleep patterns/Sleep-Disordered Breathing

Benefits of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy may include:

Correcting and improving tongue and lip postures which can aid in the development of normal patterns of dental eruption and alignment.
Assisting in the stabilization of the teeth during and/or after orthodontic treatment or jaw surgery.
Supporting nasal breathing through the identification of airway obstruction, tethered oral tissues, and other structural anomalies.
Correcting speech sounds, (such as s, z, sh, r), that have not been corrected in traditional speech therapy.

Who treats OMDs?

OMDs are typically treated in clients ages 4 and up; however, OMDs can be observed in the 0-3 population, ex., tongue-tie, and analysis at this age can be used as a baseline when developing treatment plans. Within the 4 years + population, age, as well as cognitive status, are factors in the treatment of OMDs. A team approach to treating OMDs is essential, with each professional bringing their training and area of expertise, providing a comprehensive therapeutic approach.
Specialized training is required to assess and treat OMDs