What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy focuses on muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks, and face and their functions. It prevents, evaluates, and treats related issues, enhancing facial aesthetics. Specialists in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy collaborate with various healthcare professionals for comprehensive care.
Sleep Disordered
Breathing (SDB)
Recent research has shown that Myofunctional therapy helps reduce the symptoms of sleep disorder breathing and improve mild to severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
Sleep Disordered Breathing or Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the airway temporarily closes off during sleep. If breathing is continually interrupted by a closed airway this will decreases oxygen and blood flow to the brain and to the rest of your body. A constricted upper airway is often associated with underdeveloped mouth and jaws and dysfunctional or weak oral muscles.
FAQs
This therapy goes by different names: Myofunctional therapy and orofacial myologyThis therapy is completed by therapist trained to treat disorders of the face, mouth and neck muscles.
It’s physical therapy for the tongue and all the orofacial muscles involved in swallowing, chewing and breathing. This is done through neurological re-education and re-pattern exercises.
Myofunctional exercise can be done by adults and children 5 years and older. Upon my evaluation if a short frenulum (tissue connected from the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is present, some of these exercises may be difficult to complete.
If there is a short frenulum, this can often be easily corrected in the physician’s or dentist office.
Besides all the nutritional and immunological benefits, the practice of breastfeeding stimulates the proper functioning of the structures of the mouth and face. Breast feeding strengthens the orofacial muscles of the infant, reducing risk of future problems in important functions such as breathing, swallowing and speaking.
Treatment may be indicated before, during, and/or after orthodontics. Myofunctional therapy helps balance the muscle and orofacial functions, improve the oral rest posture of the tongue and thus the stability of the orthodontic treatments by helping diminish orthodontic relapse after the removal of braces.
We offer a free 30-minute in person session or a Skype session. In this free session, we can discuss your concern and how Myofunctional therapy can help. If you decide to start treatment, we’ll schedule a comprehensive exam that last about an hour. After that, each exercise session is 30 minutes, once week for the first 8 weeks (depending on the severity and type of conditions and/or habits). After the 8 weeks, we move on to every other week and finally once a month for longer treatment programs.
It depends on the severity and type of conditions and/ or habits being addressed. Some patients need a year of therapy while others may need 6 months.
As of yet, myofunctional therapy is not a service that is covered well by insurance companies. However, I can provide you with a bill that you can submit to your insurance company.
You can give us a call at (631) 872-5748 or email us at info@airwaymyo.com and our therapist will speak with you to get the process moving.
Absolutely, we work with a team of other healthcare professionals, including dentist and orthodontist.
Orofacial Myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are disorders to the muscles and functions of the face and mouth. Most OMDs originate from a pinched or obstructed airway from an underdeveloped cranio-dental-facial skeleton. An underdevelopment happens when growth is turned off prematurely by epigenetic factors. The genes are not fully expressed, and the jaw structures do not reach full potential.
The good news is research has shown that with Orofacial Myofunctional therapy alone or as an adjunctive treatment with certain appliances help reduce and in many cases, eliminate OMDs.
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