Myofunctional Therapy
What are Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)?
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth that can affects individuals across the lifespan. OMDs may directly and/or indirectly affect:
sleep health
breastfeeding
chewing and swallowing
speech
dentition and occlusion of teeth
facial skeletal growth and development
oral hygiene
temporomandibular joint movement
stability of orthodontic treatment
facial aesthetics
overall physical and mental health
… and more
Signs and Symptoms of OMDs include, but are not limited to:
snoring
sleep disordered breathing (including sleep apnea)
may include pausing or gasps in breath while sleeping
mouth breathing
low tongue posture
teeth grinding or clenching
TMD and/or jaw clicking, tethered oral tissues
messy eating
picky eating
difficulty chewing and swallowing
speech “articulation” issues (e.g. including a lisp)
crooked or crowded teeth
front or back teeth not touching/don’t line up properly
prolonged oral habits (e.g. pacifier use or finger/thumb sucking)
facial and neck tension
repeat orthodontics
poor posture, including forward head posture
bedwetting
behavioral challenges that may appear similar to ADHD
…and more
Sip Swallow Speech strives to help the patient identify the root cause of dysfunction and individualize myofunctional therapy to meet their personal goals while considering factors that may impact speech, eating, breathing, sleeping, and overall well being.
Sip Swallow Speech provides myofunctional therapy for individuals of all ages. For those under the age of 4*, it is considered feeding therapy with a myo lens.
*typically developing individuals
