The OMD Newsletter

The holiday season is full of joy, celebration, and… tempting treats! While we love this time of year, it can also bring habits that challenge oral health and myofunctional therapy progress. From sugary sweets to stress-related thumb-sucking, December is the perfect time to be mindful of your oral muscles—for both kids and adults. Sugary Sweets: Enjoy, but Mind Your Muscles Holiday cookies, candies, and chocolates are everywhere. While they’re delicious, too many sugary foods

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) can present challenges during the holidays, where food often plays a central role. Whether you are an adult with ARFID or have a child that does, having a plan in place can provide a sense of control and make for a less stressful time. Here are some ideas to help individuals with ARFID cope during family gatherings: The holidays can be a difficult time for someone with ARFID. On top of new or unfamiliar foods there is often a

Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) can impact speech in various ways. These disorders involve abnormal patterns of muscle function and coordination in the face and mouth, which can affect the development and execution of speech sounds. Here are some ways in which orofacial myofunctional disorders may influence speech: It's important to note that the specific impact on speech can vary depending on the nature and severity of the orofacial myofunctional disorder. Early int

Orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) is a specialized form of therapy that focuses on the muscles of the face, mouth, and throat. It aims to address abnormal patterns of muscle function and movement, particularly those that can affect speech, swallowing, and overall oral health. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder often have sensory processing difficulties. Sensory processing refers to the way our nervous system receives sensory messages and turns them into appropriate

Mouth breathing, often due to chronic nasal obstruction or improper oral habits, can significantly affect speech production, resonance, and voice quality. Orofacial myofunctional therapy addresses the underlying issues of mouth breathing and helps restore normal breathing patterns, leading to improvements in communication. How Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Helps Correct Breathing Patterns Re-training Nasal Breathing: Orofacial myofunctional therapy focuses on restoring nas

As awareness grows about the importance of quality sleep for overall health, you may be familiar with sleep apnea, a condition that disrupts breathing during sleep. However, you may not have heard about Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), a related but distinct condition that can also impact sleep quality and lead to persistent fatigue. In this newsletter, we’ll explore the key differences between UARS and sleep apnea, helping you understand their unique characteristics,

We often see adults seeking myofunctional therapy for various reasons related to their overall health, functionality, and appearance. Adults often seek myofunctional therapy to address issues like snoring, sleep apnea, jaw pain, TMJ disorders, orthodontic relapse, mouth breathing, speech concerns, chronic headaches, and swallowing difficulties. Therapy helps improve muscle function, breathing, facial aesthetics, and overall quality of life while breaking harmful oral habits.

Lip taping is a technique used during sleep where a small piece of gentle, skin-safe tape is placed across the lips to encourage nasal breathing. It does not seal the mouth shut; instead, it serves as a reminder and support for keeping the lips closed overnight. The trend of using lip tape to address mouth breathing has taken social media by storm, but it’s important to understand that mouth breathing is a symptom, not a diagnosis . Before trying solutions like lip tape, it’s

Along with allergies comes congestion, mouth breathing, and disrupted sleep. But did you know that nasal breathing plays a crucial role in your overall health? Breathing through your nose isn’t just about comfort—it helps filter allergens, humidify the air, and promote optimal oxygen exchange. Chronic mouth breathing can lead to sleep disturbances, fatigue, and even impact facial and airway development over time. In this issue, we’ll explore how nasal breathing supports healt

We often think of stress as something that just lives in our minds, but it shows up in our bodies—especially in the muscles of the face, jaw, and mouth. In this edition, we're highlighting how chronic stress can lead to clenching, grinding, poor tongue posture, disrupted breathing, and even swallowing dysfunction. These patterns don’t just cause discomfort—they can interfere with sleep, speech, and overall orofacial development. Tips for Managing Stress ✅ Nasal breathing chec

As a parent, you likely pay close attention to your child’s eating, sleeping, and speech milestones—but have you ever stopped to notice how your child breathes? You might be surprised to learn that nasal breathing—breathing through the nose rather than the mouth—is not only the body’s natural way of taking in air, but it's also critical for healthy development in children. When a child primarily mouth breathes, it can affect their oral development, sleep quality, speech, atte

While time away from home is refreshing, it can also disrupt the routines you've worked hard to establish—especially when it comes to myofunctional therapy. But here’s the good news: with a little planning, you can stay consistent with your exercises, nasal breathing habits, and oral posture no matter where the road takes you. Let’s explore some practical strategies to help keep your progress on track during your time away. Keep Your Routine on the Clock Travel days can throw

The Impact on Speech Production Cleft Lip and Palate Cleft lip and palate are among the most common congenital craniofacial abnormalities. These conditions occur when there is an opening in the upper lip and/or the roof of the mouth (palate) due to incomplete fusion during fetal development. This separation can significantly impact speech production. Articulation Difficulties - Children with cleft lip and/or palate often struggle with articulation. The gap in the lip or palat

Dysphagia, the medical term for swallowing difficulties, is a condition that can significantly impact quality of life for children and their families. While often associated with older adults, dysphagia also affects a considerable number of children, necessitating early recognition and intervention to prevent complications such as malnutrition, dehydration, and aspiration pneumonia. Recognizing the Signs of Dysphagia in Children Early recognition of dysphagia can prevent seri

TMJ is discomfort occurring in the mouth, jaw, or face, is a common symptom of TMJ. TMJ disorders are non-dental in nature, instead involving the muscles involved in chewing, the joint itself, or associated orofacial structures. It can arise from injury, develop due to mouth breathing, teeth grinding, a side effect of arthritis, among other causes and is typically observed in individuals between the ages of 20 and 40 but can present in teenage years as well. How is TMJ Treate

While picky eaters may have preferences for certain foods and dislikes of others, food aversion is a more severe and complex issue. Food aversion typically involves a strong emotional or physical response to certain foods, textures, or smells. Both children and adults experience food aversion. While orofacial myologists primarily focus on issues related to speech, swallowing, and oral habits, they can play a role in helping individuals with food aversion, especially if the av

Feeding and swallowing disorders can lead to health, learning, and social problems. Feeding disorders include problems with sucking, eating from a spoon, chewing, or drinking from a cup. Swallowing disorders, also called dysphagia (dis-FAY-juh) are difficulties with moving food or liquid from the mouth, throat, or esophagus to the stomach. Feeding and swallowing disorders are often related to other medical conditions but may also occur without a known cause. excerpt

“Craniosacral therapy (CST) is a gentle hands-on technique that uses a light touch to examine membranes and movement of the fluids in and around the central nervous system. Relieving tension in the central nervous system promotes a feeling of well-being by eliminating pain and boosting health and immunity.” excerpt from Cleveland Clinic Craniosacral Therapy for TMJ Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) is a chronic disorder affecting the jaw joints and muscles. TMJ can not o

Many Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) originate with the habitual patterns of oral breathing, or insufficient nasal breathing. Even the act of swallowing and speech can be affected, since it relies on the balance between the muscles of the face, mouth, tongue and throat working in concert. Myobrace® is a pre-orthodontic tool that can be used in OMD treatment to correct habits and can potentially prevent the need for braces. What Myobrace ® Does How Myobrace Works The

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) can occur from unconscious behaviors, damaging habits, or abnormal development of the muscles and bones of the face and mouth. Often many muscles are involved since the incorrect movement of one muscle causes the others to compensate and work inaccurately as well. Atypical Swallowing/Indigestion Correct swallowing involves many muscles of the tongue, mouth, cheeks and throat to work together. This involves actions such as the teeth mee