Adult Myofunctional Therapy

Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature that interfere with normal growth, development, or function of orofacial (mouth and face) structures, or call attention to themselves.

There is not a known, single cause of OMDs but may be caused by several factors:

-Blocked nasal passages due to tonsil size or allergies. When the nasal passages are blocked, people may need to breathe through their mouths instead.

-Anything that causes the tongue to be misplaced at rest or makes it difficult to keep the lips together at rest.

-Sucking and chewing habits past the age of 3 years. These may include nail biting, pencil sucking, clothing sucking, etc.

Adults can experience one or many ofacial myofunctional disorders that may include:

A child who breathes through the mouth or has difficulty breathing through the nose.

-Open mouth posture

-The tongue pushing past the teeth (anterior or lateral), even when a person is not talking or using the tongue

-Limited tongue movement or range of motion.

-Tongue tie, lip tie, cheek tie

-Atypical swallow

-An overbite, underbite, and/or other dental problems (malocclusion)

-Narrow high vaulted palate

-Difficulty saying some sounds, like "s" in "sun," "sh" in "ship," or "j" in "jump."

-Difficulty closing the lips to swallow.

-Noxious oral habits (tongue, lip, nail biting, lip licking, cheek biting, pencil biting, etc)

-Facial compensation to swallow (cheek, lip, neck, face grimacing)

-Enlarged tonsils / adenoids observed by doctor

-TMJD

-Sleep disorders

-Grinding/clenching

-Low tongue resting posture

-Snoring

-Cavities gum disease

-Allergic shiners/bags under the eyes

-Forward head posture

The primary purpose of orofacial myofunctional therapy is to create an oral environment in which normal processes of orofacial and dental growth and development can take place, and be maintained. Orofacial myofunctional therapy focuses on:

-Promote nasal breathing for optimal breathing and facial development

-Prevent tongue thrust at rest which can lead to dental, speech and swallowing difficulties

-Promote lip seal for optimal facial development

-Identify and address restricted tongue, lip, cheek ties to prevent breathing, swallowing and speech difficulties

-Identify and target significant speech problems (developmental vs. hidden cause) in order to improve functional communication

Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, 2022, Introduction to Orofacial Myofuntional Therapy