Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

Did you know that the movement patterns of the muscles in the tongue and face impact how the surrounding body structures develop?

The tongue is a powerful force and can impact how the upper and lower jaws and dental arches are formed.

Take a minute to stop and breathe. Think about where your tongue is sitting in your mouth.

Did you know that the optimal tongue rest posture is against the hard palate (roof of the mouth) with the lips closed and breathing through the nose?

When the tongue does not rest in this posture it can impact development and function of the surrounding structures.

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is a specialist treatment approach that supports the development of optimal facial growth and function. it involves the use of personalised treatment exercises to encourage optimal muscle function for resting, feeding and speech.

“Breathing is one of the most vital functions of the human body. Every breath we take can have a positive or negative impact on our bodies depending on how it is performed.” - Patrick McKeown

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy can support with the following areas:

Developing optimal tongue rest posture in the mouth

Encouraging nasal breathing with closed lips

Developing age-appropriate and functional eating and drinking skills

Correcting atypical speech sound errors, including lisps

Did you know the average adult takes 25,000 breaths a day … and mostly without ever thinking about it?

8 Signs your child may benefit from Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy:

1. Open mouth posture at rest when awake and sleeping

2. Excessive drooling and difficulty managing saliva

3. Tongue thrust (i.e., tongue sitting between the front teeth).

4. Diagnosed or suspected tongue and/or lip ties

5. Dental abnormalities (e.g., open bite, over bite, dental crowding)

6. Non-nutritive oral habits (e.g. prolonged pacifier use, thumb sucking)

7. Distorted speech sound production (especially for t, d, s, z, l, r sounds)

8. A history or airway difficulties (e.g., enlarged adenoids and tonsils)

All of the above signs and symptoms impact the muscle function of the face which can result in prolonged use of sub-optimal muscle patterns that cause changes to the oral structures

For more information regarding how Core Speech can support your child, please contact us.

Did you know that the tongue has 8 muscles which control its freedom of movement and allow you to change the shape and position of the tongue to perform many of its most essential tasks?

Common Questions about Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

  • Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) helps to retrain the muscles of the face, lips, tongue and airway to develop appropriate and coordinated movement patterns through specific guided exercises.

  • If you suspect that your child might have a tongue tie that is impacting their ability to eat, drink, speak clearly, or adopt a closed mouth posture then it is recommended that they access an assessment with a qualified therapist.

    During an assessment, both the structure and function of your child’s tongue will be assessed. This includes taking detailed observations and photos of the inside of your child’s mouth and looking at how their tongue interacts with other structures during functional tasks, such as clearing food from their mouth after eating.

    Some children may present with some measurable restriction to their tongue mobility; however it may not be having any impact on their function. They may still be able to speak, eat, drink, and breathe effectively without any limitations of compensations. In this case, it is highly unlikely they will require Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy as there are no difficulties to address.

    Alternatively, if the assessment identifies reduced or impaired function and the child cannot effectively speak, eat, drink, or breathe then Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy may be recommended to help develop optimal muscle function.

  • Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy sessions are tailored to the child’s individual needs; therefore, each session looks very different.

    They will usually consist of the therapist demonstrating the exercises and guiding the child to copy, ensuring that they are completed accurately without any additional compensatory movements or tension.

    For very young children, the exercises are incorporated into motivating games and activities to support engagement and interest. This could include tailoring the exercises around a favourite character, book, or song.

  • Every child’s case is unique and the recommendations are based on their individual areas of concern and therapy goals. Due to this, it is not possible to advise how many sessions a child will require; however, it is common for children to need between 6-12 months to develop optimum oral functional and fully habituate the exercises they have been practising. As Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy focuses on retraining suboptimal muscle function, regular and consistent practice of recommended therapeutic exercises will help to maintain progress and ensure the best outcomes.

    In some cases, Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy alone may not be appropriate or sufficient in order to achieve an individual’s desired goals and multi-disciplinary working with other health professionals may be required. This could include onward referrals to dentists or Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) professionals for further assessment and management.

    In these cases, the combination and coordination of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy sessions and medical management will be discussed and an appropriate therapy plan developed. This could include pausing Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy sessions whist other services are actively involved.

  • A Myo Munchee is a soft chewing device made from soft medial grade silicon.

    The Myo Munchee is a useful tool that can be utilised as part of an individualised therapy approach to provide opportunities for therapeutic chewing.

    More information about the Myo Munchee and its benefits can be found on their website: https://myomunchee.com

    Emma is a Myo Munchee registered provider and can assist you in determining if this would be a beneficial adjunct to your child’s therapy program.