Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Improve muscle function for better breathing, swallowing, and speech.
Orofacial myofunctional therapy helps retrain oral and facial muscles so your child can breathe, eat, swallow, and rest more efficiently — building a stronger foundation for speech and daily function.
What are orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs)?
Examples include:
Mouth breathing
Tongue resting between or against the teeth
Improper chewing or swallowing
Thumb/finger habits
Tongue thrusting
Speech sound distortions, especially with S, Sh, Ch, L, R
What myofunctional therapy can do
Therapy can help with:
✔ Establishing nasal breathing
✔ Normalizing tongue/lip resting posture
✔ Improving stability and coordination of oral muscles
✔ Coordinating care before/after frenectomy for tongue tie
✔ Eliminating improper chewing/swallowing
✔ Reducing harmful oral habits (thumb-sucking, nail biting)
Why do these things matter?
Left untreated, these characteristics can contribute to:
Malocclusion (teeth alignment issues) and relapse after braces
Sleep disruption (sleep apnea, upper airway resistance) and associated behavioral challenges
TMJ discomfort
Postural changes
Persistent speech errors
Who Can Benefit / When to Start
Who We Help:
Children beginning at around age 5 for habit elimination, improving oral rest posture, and remediation of tongue thrust
Teens & adults can also benefit, especially in cases of orthodontic relapse or difficulty finishing braces.
Family involvement, completion of carryover, and consistency with sessions are keys to success.
What to Expect
During an Evaluation & Therapy:
We gather a medical, speech-language, & oral motor history
Observe muscle function during play, talking, & eating
Assess posture, oral structure, stability, and coordinated movements
Review results and personalized recommendations with you
Coordinate with other professionals as appropriate
Teamwork & collaboration
We often work with:
Dentists/orthodontists
ENTs
Tongue tie release providers
Pediatricians
Sleep specialists
Other speech-language pathologists
Feeding therapists
Occupational therapists
(We even have a study group!)
Ready to talk through your concerns?
Schedule a free phone consultation to discuss whether orofacial myofunctional therapy might be right for you or your child.