What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy(OMT)?

OMT is the “neuromuscular re-education or re-patterning of the orofacial muscles.” This therapy includes facial and tongue exercises and behavior modification techniques to promote proper tongue position, improved breathing, chewing, and swallowing.

​Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth. OMDs can affect, directly and/or indirectly, breastfeeding, facial skeletal growth, and development, chewing, swallowing, speech, occlusion, TMJ movement, dental hygiene, the stability of orthodontic treatment, facial aesthetics, and more.

​Most OMDs originate with insufficient habitual nasal breathing or with oral breathing. The subsequent adaptation of the muscles and the oral and facial functions to a disordered breathing pattern creates many OMDs.

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders can impact treatments by orthodontists, dentists, dental hygienists, speech-language therapist and other professionals working in the orofacial area.