Helping Children Overcome Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders... even the term itself is literally a mouthful so we'll simply refer to them as OMDs.
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OMDs occur when the muscles of the mouth, face, or tongue don't work the way they should and the body develops unusual habits to compensate. In children, OMDs manifest as habits or behaviors like mouth breathing, tongue-thrust swallowing, detrimental oral habits, or trouble using the tongue correctly when speaking. Over time, these habits can affect your child’s speech, eating, swallowing, breathing, sleeping, and facial growth.
​Common examples of OMDs include one or more of the following:
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Predominate mouth breathing (poor nasal breathing)
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A routine habit of resting with the lips apart
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A forward or down in the mouth resting posture of the tongue
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"Tongue thrust" swallowing
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Thumb and finger sucking habits
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Difficulty chewing
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Issues with properly managing food before swallowing
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Speech sound disorders (attributed to OMDs)
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Teeth Grinding
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Other unnecessary oral habits​
Since OMDs encompass a variety of issues, their assessments and treatment methods will depend on the underlying issue(s) as well as specifics of the individual. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapists are trained to recognize, assess, and provide therapeutic interventions that can help address these issues - sometimes in coordination with care from dentists, orthodontists, oral surgeons, physicians, and other therapists.
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Miss Tongue and Friends products were developed by Tricia H. Rogers, MS-CCC. Tricia is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist with over 20 years of providing care to children with OMDs. She developed these products to use with clients in her own private practice.
​Tricia's growing line of picture books are intended to be used by therapists, by parents, and other medical and dental professionals as therapeutic tools that engage children and support positive interventions for specific OMDs.
Specific OMDs and Interventions
OMD Challenge: Poor Oral Resting Posture
Oral Resting Postures are the position of the tongue, lips, and jaw when at rest. The term, "at rest" means when not talking, eating, or swallowing. An ideal resting posture for the tongue occurs when the it rests gently on the roof of the mouth. When the lips stay together softly without tension, this is the desirable resting posture for the lips. Myofunctional therapy can help improve oral rest postures for the tongue, lips, and jaw.
Therapeutic Intervention:
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Optimal tongue, lips, and jaw rest postures​
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Nasal breathing
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Engaging stories that offer repetition to help fortify new healthy habits
Relevant Miss Tongue and Friends Therapy Tool(s):
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"Miss Tongue Learns to Rest"
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"The Lips Learn to Stay Together"
OMD Challenge: Open Mouth Breathing
Mouth Breathing (poor nasal breathing) is one of the most common and easily identified OMDs. It can be determined by simply looking at a child's mouth when they are watching TV. Uncontrolled allergies, frequent colds, or structural issues, can all cause habitual mouth breathing. Myofunctional therapy with a focus on healthy nasal breathing can help overcome a mouth breathing habit.
Therapeutic Intervention:
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Habituates nasal breathing
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Encourages proper tongue and lip postures
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Supports optimal facial growth and development
Relevant Miss Tongue and Friends Therapy Tool(s):
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"Mr. Nose Learns to Breathe"
OMD Challenge: Tongue-tie
Tongue tie (technically called ankyloglossia) is when a small piece of tissue under the tongue is too tight, making it hard for the tongue to move properly. It can affect oral resting postures, eating, oral hygiene, speech, breathing, and jaw stability. Myofunctional therapy can help improve tongue function and other related oral dysfunctions.
Therapeutic Intervention:
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Child-friendly way to encourage pre/post-procedure practice
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Encourages tongue muscle coordination
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Supports tongue-jaw dissociation and jaw muscle stability
Relevant Miss Tongue and Friends Therapy Tool(s):
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"Miss Tongue Learns to Dance"
