Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
Also known as OMT, orofacial myofunctional therapy is a specialized discipline that focuses on evaluating and treating oral and facial (orofacial) muscles and reprogramming them to improve how you breathe, chew, swallow, speak, and rest your tongue. While traditional speech therapy only focuses on speech and language issues, OMT goes a step further by concentrating on the physical aspects involving the tongue and lips and identifying anomalies in the orofacial structures that can hinder their function, a condition also known as orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD).
OMD symptoms may include:
- Mouth breathing
- Snoring
- Abnormal chewing and swallowing patterns
- Tongue thrust
- Asymmetrical jaw movement
- Tongue and lip ties
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Jaw pain due to TMJ
- Orthodontic recidivism
- Bruxism
- Chronic headaches
- Oral habits such as thumb-sucking and nail-biting.
OMT addresses the root cause of these problems and not just the symptoms. It can also fundamentally affect and improve tongue elevation, tongue and lip mobility, and lateral margin stabilization.
Treatment begins with a thorough OMT evaluation to determine any deviations of the jaw and neck while chewing, speaking, and swallowing to help alleviate pain and dysfunction. We will then design a comprehensive therapy program customized to your individual needs. We provide therapy sessions through a virtual platform, and the length of treatment will depend on the severity of your condition.
Working in tandem with a team of experienced professionals, our main objective is to establish, restore, and maintain a healthy and natural resting position for the tongue, lips, teeth, and jaws, allowing you to sleep well, breathe freely, and live a happier life.