Are the Muscles of Your Mouth & Face Your Friend or Foe?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy - What It Is & How It Can Help

You use your mouth and face muscles 24 hours a day, consciously and unconsciously. How you use them may affect how you look, the shape and function of your dental bite, your TMJ (jaw joint) function, head/neck/body posture and more.

Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) involve behaviors and patterns created by inappropriate muscle function and habits involving the tongue, lips and jaws. They may be caused by any number of things:

• Oral habits such as thumb/finger-sucking and lip/cheek/tongue/nail biting/sucking
• A restricted nasal airway
• Structural abnormalities
• Neurological or developmental abnormalities
• Genetic disposition

Whatever the cause, an OMD may have a big impact on your health and wellbeing. An incorrect tongue resting posture and swallowing pattern – popularly known as a “tongue thrust” – may contribute to things such as misaligned teeth and jaws, clenching/grinding habits and TMJ disorders (TMD). Restoring a normal rest posture of the tongue and lips may

• Aid in guiding the teeth into a more desirable relationship during the growth and development years.
• Help an orthodontist in aligning the teeth and jaws properly.
• Aid stabilization of the bite during or after orthodontic, dental or surgical treatment.
• Enhance overall appearance.

The process of correcting tongue thrust or similar problems is called orofacial myofunctional therapy. You may also hear it called “orofacial therapy,” “myofunctional therapy,” “tongue thrust therapy,” “oral myology" or “orofacial dysfunction therapy.” All these terms refer to the same thing.

Orofacial/Oral-Facial?

When someone says the word “orofacial,” many people hear “oral-facial.” This is fine, for it means the same thing:
having to do with the mouth and face together. “Orofacial” is the official term that therapists use.

Most of the time, a full course of therapy lasts about a year. It starts with weekly sessions for the first 3 to 6 months and twice daily exercises at home. This is followed by monthly visits for the rest of the year to make sure the new habits are really instilled. The main goal is to recapture a normal freeway space dimension – the space between upper and lower teeth when the jaw is at rest. This is the foundation for correct orofacial postures and muscle patterns.

Myofunctional therapists are trained to use positive behavior management techniques to help patients replace negative orofacial habits with proper orofacial function. The exercises taught by the therapist are designed to establish correct functional activities of the tongue, lips and jaws.

Some Signs of Correct Orofacial Function

Lips are closed when at rest
Nasal breathing
Palatal and posterior swallowing pattern (from the roof of the mouth to the back)
Lips are well-toned
No detrimental habits such as nail biting, thumb/finger sucking or lip/cheek/tongue biting or sucking

Myofunctional therapy is suitable for all ages. Early treatment is ideal, but even the elderly may benefit from treatment. There are many factors that may alter the outcome and habituation, but motivation and commitment are key to success.

Learn more about the things a myofunctional therapist looks at
when evaluating your oral and facial muscle habits

More resources on myofunctional therapy