Myofunctional Therapy

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders are abnormal/dysfunctional movements of the face and mouth muscles that can interfere with normal growth, development, or function of the oral structures.  Myofunctional therapy addresses neuromuscular re-education of the oral-facial muscles by targeting strength, coordination, stability, and range of motion, as well as habit elimination. The main goals of myofunctional therapy are to promote optimal tongue resting posture and improve breathing, speech production, and safe swallowing. Orofacial myofunctional disorders can vary from person to person, and that is why a comprehensive evaluation and individualized treatment plan is crucial to success. 

Signs my child may have an orofacial myofunctional disorder

• Mouth breathing
• Open mouth resting posture
• Excessive drooling
• Limited tongue movement
• "Tongue thrusting" (forward movement of the tongue during speech and swallowing)
• Oral habits (i.e., thumb sucking, nail biting, teeth grinding/clenching, hair biting, etc.)
• Messy eating
• Difficulty eating
• Speech errors (i.e., "r", "sh", "ch", "s", "z", etc.)
• Tongue, lip, or cheek ties (diagnosed by a professional trained in tethered oral tissue)
• Dental abnormalities (i.e., open bite, cross bite, underbite, crooked teeth, other dental problems)