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What is Oral Myofunctional Therapy?
Oral Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is a therapeutic approach that focuses on the retraining and strengthening of the muscles used for chewing, swallowing, speaking, and breathing. It is often used to address issues related to improper tongue posture, mouth breathing, or abnormal swallowing patterns, which can affect overall oral and facial health.
OMT works by improving muscle tone, coordination, and control to ensure proper function and alignment of the oral and facial structures. It often involves exercises and techniques that target the tongue, lips, cheeks, and jaw.
What can therapy address?
• Mouth Breathing: Mouth breathing can lead to a range of negative effects including facial development issues, dental problems like crowded teeth, poor sleep quality, speech difficulties, behavior concerns, and potential cognitive impacts due to disrupted oxygen intake.
• Tongue Thrusting: An abnormal swallowing pattern where the tongue pushes against the teeth or lips, which can lead to dental issues like misalignment.
• Sleep Disordered Breathing: Conditions such as snoring, sleep apnea, or restless sleep caused by improper oral and facial muscle function.
• Teeth Misalignment: Improper tongue posture or mouth breathing may contribute to or exacerbate dental alignment issues.
• Tongue Ties: Can contribute to mouth breathing, digestive issues, sleep disordered breathing, messy eating, body tension, speech issues, & higher rate of tooth decay.
• Oral Habits: Chewing lips, tongue chewing, thumb-sucking, chewing clothes, nail-biting, and finger sucking can contribute to improper function which can lead to structure changes in the mouth.
How does therapy work?
Myofunctional therapy uses a combination of exercises and techniques to help patients achieve optimal oral posture and function through neuromuscular re-education. Therapy is done through individualized sessions with one of our trained myofunctional therapists that consists of a series of activities and exercises that enhance natural form and function. The therapist works closely with patients to ensure exercises are done correctly, while also educating them on lifestyle habits that impact oral function.
Who can benefit?
• Children: Young children who may have developed improper oral habits (e.g., thumb sucking, mouth breathing) that affect their dental development.
• Adults: Individuals experiencing issues such as orthodontic relapse or breathing disorders.
• People with Sleep Apnea: OMT can be part of a comprehensive treatment plan for individuals with obstructive sleep apnea.
• Individuals with Speech or Swallowing Disorders: OMT can assist with improving speech clarity or swallowing patterns, often in conjunction with speech therapy.
If you or your child have concerns related to oral health, speech, or facial development, OMT may be an effective solution.
Signs we need to stop ignoring
Mouth breathing.
Tooth Grinding.
Snoring.
Behavior disorders (ADD, ADHD).
Bedwetting.
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