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Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

  • Tongue-tip and/or lip-tie

  • Open-bite or front teeth that stick out

  • Speech distortions, especially lisps or /r/

  • Chewing with lips open

  • Tongue thrusting

  • Thumb sucking and other negative oral habits

  • Challenges due to prolonged pacifier or sippy cup use

  • Orthodontic relapse

  • Open-mouth breathing

  • Teeth grinding

  • Snoring

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About Orofacial Myology

Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are characterized by abnormal movement patterns of the face and mouth. Individuals of all ages may suffer from an OMD and benefit from an evaluation and therapy to address common challenges or symptoms such as:

Tongue-tie and/or lip-tie

Open-bite or front teeth that stick out

Speech distortions, especially lisps or /r/

Chewing with lips open

Tongue thrusting

Thumb sucking and other negative oral habits

Challenges due to prolonged pacifier or sippy cup use

Orthodontic relapse

Open-mouth breathing

Teeth grinding

Snoring

Evals & Therapy

Symptoms/Signs of an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder

  • Breathing through the mouth/difficulty breathing through the nose​

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  • Tongue-tie and/or lip-tie 

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  • Chewing with the lips/mouth open and/or difficulty closing the lips to swallow

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  • Overbite, underbite, and/or other dental problems

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  • The tongue pushing past/between the teeth, even at rest

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  • Pushing out the tongue when talking, drinking, or eating

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  • Persistent speech sound errors involving the tongue, especially for the s, sh, j, and r sounds

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  • Drooling beyond age 2

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  • Teeth grinding, jaw tension, headaches

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

At The Therapy SPOT, we have therapists on staff who are trained and IAOM certified in providing orofacial myofunctional therapy focused on:

  • Developing correct swallow patterns to remediate tongue thrust

  • Improving nasal breathing habits

  • Correcting lip and tongue postures at rest

  • Remediating articulation difficulties related to tongue thrust

  • Preventing orthodontic relapse

  • Reducing the risk of re-attachment of the tongue or lip after a frenectomy

Children as young as 4 years old can benefit from orofacial myofunctional therapy. Therapy is often provided in collaboration with other professionals such as ENTs, dentists, orthodontists, sleep specialists, etc. 

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