Miss Tongue OMT Therapy Tool Benefits
​​Life is busy and homework is no fun!
Consistently practicing assignments is often one if the biggest obstacles to successfully completing any treatment for conditions or habits affecting the orofacial complex. The Miss Tongue and Friends characters were created to make learning oral resting postures and nasal breathing fundamentals...well... fun!​
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The adorable characters introduce nasal breathing (healthy airway) and proper oral resting postures (optimal facial development) to children in a fun way.
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The simple and accessible concepts help parents identify and support key medical or dental interventions for their child's airway, oral development, and health.
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​Each book in the series includes built-in interventions that feel like story-time activities.​
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The series has books to addresses a child's myofunctional challenges at different stages: Prevention (3-5+ years) and Intervention (6-12 years).
About Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy
Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is a form of therapeutic intervention intended to correct dysfunctional oral habits, focusing on improving the tone, coordination, and function of the orofacial muscles. These orofacial muscles are involved in vital activities such as breathing, swallowing, speaking, chewing, and maintaining proper tongue, lip and jaw postures.
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Key Goals of OMT:
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Establish Proper Oral Postures (at rest): Encouraging the tongue to rest on the roof of the mouth and the lips to remain closed.
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Correct Swallowing Patterns: Eliminating habits like a tongue thrust swallow, where the tongue comes between the teeth or pushes against the teeth during a swallowing, potentially causing dental issues.
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Encourage Nasal Breathing: Promoting nasal breathing which is healthier than mouth breathing,
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Eliminate Detrimental Oral Habits: Facilitating the succession of thumb-sucking, nail-biting, and non-nutritive chewing habits that can interfere with optimal facial growth and development.
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Balance Muscle Function: Ensuring that the lips, jaw, and tongue work harmoniously, supporting clear speech, proper dental alignment, and facial symmetry.
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders
Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are habits or conditions that effect how the mouth and facial muscles work. As a child’s face grows and develops, different factors can interfere with the normal development process. These factors may include:
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Nasal breathing problems (such as those caused by allergies or a blocked nasal passage)
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Undesirable tongue positions (often related to mouth breathing)
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Difficulty keeping the lips closed (either due to habit or physical structure)​​
When any of these issues occur, they can affect the proper growth of the face and the way a child breathes and swallows.
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​​​​​​​​​​​For more detailed information on OMDs:​
https://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/orofacial-myofunctional-disorders
Common Signs and Symptoms of OMDs
Common Signs and Symptoms of OMDs:
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Mouth Breathing – Regularly breathing through the mouth instead of the nose, even when resting, which can affect facial growth and oral health.
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Tongue Thrust Swallows – The tongue pushes against or between the teeth when swallowing, speaking, or resting, which may lead to crooked teeth and speech difficulties.
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Speech Difficulties – Trouble saying certain sounds like /s/, /z/, /sh/, /ch/, /t/, /d/, /n/, and /l/ because of incorrect tongue placement.
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Jaw and Dental Issues – Bite issues, such as an open bite where the front teeth don’t touch when the mouth is closed, are often linked to habits like thumb sucking, pacifier use, or tongue thrust swallows.
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Airway Health Issues – Difficulty breathing properly during sleep may lead to snoring or other sleep-related issues.
