An orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD) is an abnormal position, movement, or pattern of the face/mouth. It includes anything outside of the natural, normal, and/or ideal facial growth or function. Myofunctional therapy aims to evaluate for all possible OMDs and helps to guide the client to reduce the severity of or even eliminate OMDs. By reducing the severity of and/or eliminating OMDs, the client’s health can be improved. Often times, OMDs require addressing multiple aspects and may require seeing multiple different specialists/professionals. Myofunctional therapists help determine which specialists are needed and makes referrals as necessary. Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders Open mouth posture Mouth breathing Abnormal tongue rest posture Abnormal swallowing pattern Non nutritive sucking habits Parafunctional habits If you feel you have any of the above OMDs, a myofunctional therapy evaluation can help determine the severity and the options available to reduce or eliminate them. Contact us with any questions about OMDs or to schedule an initial evaluation. Signs or Risks of OMDs Infancy signs: traumatic or long labor, feeding tube, difficult baby, difficulties with infant feedings, failure to thrive, bottle and pacifier use

Childhood signs: multiple ear infections, excessive drool past age 2, prolonged non nutritive sucking habits , hyperactivity Lips: slightly parted, open mouth, dry lips, short upper lip, wrinkled chin when lips are closed, unable to close lips comfortably Airway: mouth breathing , past or present allergies (diagnosed or suspected), tonsils and/or adenoids large or history of removal, chronic congestion, deviated septum or polyps, asthma, sinus issues Tethered Oral Tissues (TOTs): tongue tie , lip tie, buccal tie Dental issues: plaque and tarter build up, cavities, periodontal disease, bad breathe Appearance/posture: long narrow face, recessed chin, flat midface, forward head posture, dowagers hump, shoulders rolled forward, dark circles under eyes, upturned nose, short upper lip Sleep issues: snoring, sleep apnea, gasping, loud breathing, open mouth, moving around a lot, waking up a lot, difficulty falling asleep or falling asleep very fast, drooling, daytime sleepiness, grinding teeth, headaches, acid reflux, bedwetting, excessive sweating, daytime hyperactivity Eating issues: choking/coughing, messy, eating very fast or very slow, pocketing food, avoiding certain textures, difficulty breathing while eating, needs a lot of liquid while eating, hyperactive gag reflex, difficulty swallowing pills Speech issues: past or present Digestive issues: gas, acid reflux, constipation Pain: facial, TMJ, headaches, neck/shoulder pain or tension Having OMDs is common but not normal. If you haven’t already, read Hannah’s story about realizing she had myofunctional disorders.