Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

What is an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder?

An Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD) is dysfunction of the muscles of the face and mouth, specifically the jaw, lips, cheeks, and tongue. As a result, compensations and atypical patterns emerge.

The most commonly noted cause of an orofacial myofunctional disorder is lack of nasal breathing.

In orofacial myology, the main goal is to stop mouth breathing at night and during the day, but also ensure that the tongue is resting properly and the lips are sealed. Therefore, we have to work with a variety of providers and get down to the root cause. We have to ask why is the mouth open?

Causes and contributing factors of orofacial myofunctional disorders

  1. Structural/ Anatomical Factors

  • Tongue tie (tethered oral tissue or ankyloglossia)

  • Lip tie

  • Buccal (cheek) tie

  • High and narrow palate

  • Dental malocclusion (e.g. overbite)

  • Genetics

2. Airway and Breathing Issues

  • Nasal Obstruction

  • Allergies

  • Enlarged Tonsils and/or Adenoids

  • Sleep-disordered breathing and sleep apnea

  • Chronic congestion

3. Oral Habits

  • Prolonged pacifier use

  • Thumb or finger sucking

  • Extended bottle or sippy cup use

  • Cheek or lip biting

  • Nail biting

  • Other oral fixations

4. Neuromuscular and Developmental Factors

  • Low or high muscle tone

  • Oral motor weakness or incoordination

  • Neurological or developmental disorders

  • Prematurity

  • Sensory-Motor difficulties

Orofacial Myofunctional Assessment

Common signs and symptoms in OMDs and what we are looking to address and treat.

  • tongue and lip ties

  • enlarged adenoids and tonsils

  • mouth breathing

  • tongue thrust

  • picky eating

  • difficulty with straws and cups

  • poor oral motor skills

  • bed wetting

  • teeth grinding and clenching

  • snoring

  • speech sound errors

  • narrow and high palate

  • crowded teeth

  • improper alignment of teeth

  • thumb sucking

  • TMJ pain

  • body tension

  • poor posture

We see children of all ages and adults that have an orofacial myofunctional disorder. Aside from mouth breathing, many have poor oral motor skills. They lack strength and stability in the lips, jaw, and tongue and it is common to also have a feeding and/or articulation disorder.

In infancy, tongue, lip, and cheek ties are often correlated with difficulty with breastfeeding, bottle feeding, and latching. Oral motor difficulties can persist into toddlerhood and present as a feeding disorder. In the preschool years, parents might see difficulties with speech sounds and continued picky eating. As we move out of the preschool years, these oral motor difficulties may persist and the child is now seeing an orthodontist for an expander. We may have concerns regarding sleep disordered breathing. Finally, as we move into adulthood, feeding and speech difficulties may have been remediated or the person has learned to compensate well. However, there are still concerns for sleep disordered breathing/sleep apnea and now TMJ pain.

At Atwell, orofacial myology is a type of intervention that bridges the gap between feeding and speech. It targets foundational skills needed for both speech and feeding and is typically one piece of the greater puzzle. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation allows a speech language pathologist to create a tailored plan of care based on individual needs and age.

Orofacial Myofunctional Treatment

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We want your child to be healthy, functional, and happy. If your child wakes up not rested, appears to be struggling with attention, self regulation, emotional regulation, communication, or you’ve recently received a diagnosis, or your pediatrician, teacher, or other professional is recommending speech therapy, book a call today to learn more about how we can help.

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