What Is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy & Who Can Benefit From It?
When most people hear “speech therapy”, they usually think about helping people, especially children, with articulation struggles and speech disorders. But speech-language pathologists can do so much more, including working with individuals to strengthen the muscles of their mouth, tongue, face, and jaw.
These muscles play an important role in much more than speech. They help us breathe, chew, and swallow. They also affect where the tongue naturally sits at rest. When these muscles don’t function as they should, they can contribute to a condition known as an orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD), and that's where Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) comes in.
OMT is a specialized form of therapy that helps retrain the muscles of the mouth and face to move and function more efficiently. This in turn leads to clearer speech, better oral function, and improved quality of life for people of all ages. Schedule a call to get started today.
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is an exercise-based treatment that is designed to improve the coordination, strength, and resting place of the muscles that are involved in speaking, breathing, and chewing.
OMT focuses on improving how the oral muscles work together. During therapy, the speech therapist may work with patients through exercises for tongue posture, lip closure, nasal breathing, jaw stability, and coordination of the various muscles that are used for speech.
The goal of OMT is not just to strengthen the muscles. It's also to establish good movement patterns that will ideally later become automatic during everyday activities.
What is an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder?
An orofacial myofunctional disorder occurs when the muscles of the face and mouth don’t function in the typical ways. These differences can affect the person’s speech, eating, swallowing, breathing, and overall oral development.
OMD’s can develop for a variety of reasons. Some people may have had prolonged thumb sucking or pacifier use as a young child. Others may develop abnormal tongue posture due to chronic mouth breathing, enlarged tonsils, allergies, or other structural differences. Sometimes, multiple factors are involved.
What Are The Signs That Someone May Benefit From OMT
Some common signs that someone may benefit from Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy include:
- Breathing through their mouth instead of breathing through their nose
- Their tongue rests between or against their teeth
- Problems keeping lips closed comfortably while at rest
- A tongue thrust swallow
- Persistent speech sound errors (particularly with sounds like S, Z, SH, CH, or J)
- Difficulty chewing certain foods
- Frequent drooling beyond what is developmentally expected
- Changes in dental alignment
It's important to note that these signs do not necessarily mean that the person needs OMT, but they are often a good reason to seek an evaluation. We break down this topic even more in What are the Symptoms of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders?.
Who Can Benefit from Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
One of the biggest misconceptions about OMT or speech therapy in general is that it's only for children when, in reality, people of all ages from toddlers to seniors can benefit.
Children are some of the most common candidates for OMT because they are developing healthy oral muscle patterns throughout their childhood. Therapy may be recommended for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to tongue thrust, speech sound disorders, oral habits that affect muscle development, and persistent mouth breathing.
Teenagers sometimes begin OMT while receiving orthodontic treatment if they develop improper tongue posture or jaw position. Speech therapists often work together with orthodontists, dentists, ENT’s, pediatricians, and other healthcare providers when needed.
Adults are often referred for OMT by their dentist, orthodontist, or doctor if they have concerns about tongue posture, speech, or oral habits.
What Happens During OMT?
All sessions with Great Speech start with a thorough evaluation. Your speech-language pathologist will examine how the muscles in your mouth function during activities like speaking, chewing, regular breathing, and at rest.
If the evaluation shows that OMT would be helpful, they will create a treatment plan for your individual needs and goals. Therapy will include a variety of exercises for you to work through both in the session and on your own.
A review published in the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology found growing evidence that supports OMT for improving oral function, while also noting that additional high-quality research will continue to strengthen the evidence base.
Consistency matters. Because these exercises help retrain automatic muscle habits, practicing regularly between appointment times plays a big role in making progress.
When Should You Schedule an Evaluation?
We recommend that you book an appointment if you or your child has speech concerns or is exhibiting symptoms like tongue thrust, mouth breathing, or other signs of an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder,
An evaluation can determine whether OMT is appropriate or whether another type of treatment could better address your concerns.
At Great Speech, our licensed speech therapists provide virtual evaluations and therapy for a wide range of communication and oral motor concerns. If OMT is recommended as part of your care, we’ll create a treatment plan that is individualized to your needs and goals.
Our Speech Therapy services at Great Speech are also covered by most major insurance providers, with many people paying as little as $18 per session. We are proud to be in-network with leading insurance plans like SCAN Health, Zenith America, Humana Military, Amerigroup, TriWest & more!. Visit our insurance page to learn more.