What is a Myofunctional Disorder (OMD)?
An OMD is the presence of an abnormal lip, jaw, or tongue position during rest, swallowing or speech.
It can be the result of prolonged oral habits, like thumb/pacifier sucking, tongue and lip ties, or mouth breathing.
Unrepaired Tongue Tie
Open Bite- Thumb Sucking
Oral posture-Mouth Breathing
Why does it matter?
At rest, your tongue should rest on the top of your mouth. Thumb, finger, or pacifier sucking changes the shape and development of your face and affects the way you breathe, eat, speak, and swallow. It can also affect dentition and bite-requiring orthodontic treatment to correct.
Common symptoms of an OMD include:
Mouth breathing
Overbite/underbite/open bite dental problems
Tongue pushing against the teeth
Drooling
Difficulty eating/picky eater/frequently choking or coughing
Allergies
Enlarged tonsils or frequent illness/sore throat
Teeth clenching or grinding
Relapse orthodontic treatment
Disturbed Sleep/ Sleep Apnea
Difficulty latching to nurse
What should I do?
If you or your child have been diagnosed with a “Tongue Tie” or “Lip Tie,” see a specialty dentist, ENT, or oral surgeon specializing in OMDs
Eliminate the oral habit (thumb, finger, or pacifier- sucking)
Schedule a Myofunctional Therapy Evaluation to:
CORRECT TONGUE PLACEMENT
IMPROVE NASAL BREATHING
CORRECT SWALLOW PATTERNS
CORRECT SPEECH SOUND ERRORS
