About Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

People who have an OMD might have problems with breathing through their nose, producing some speech sounds correctly, and eating. One type of common OMD in children is called tongue thrusting or fronting. Tongue thrusting is when the child pushes their tongue forward when they talk, drink, or eat.

Signs and Symptoms of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

Just because a person has some or all of these symptoms does not mean that they have an OMD. Always see a professional for more information.

Some signs of an OMD may include the following:

  • Always breathing through the mouth or having trouble breathing through the nose. This may happen during exercise only.
  • Difficulty moving or controlling the tongue.
  • Problems with chewing or keeping food in the mouth more than usual, issues with certain food textures.You might notice that babies, toddlers, and young children will be a little messy while eating. This is normal, but should be resolving as they age.
  • An overbite, underbite, open bite, and/or other dental problems.
  • Repeated orthodontics due to relapse.
  • The tongue pushing past or against the teeth, even when a person is not talking or using the tongue, called a tongue thrust.
  • Difficulty saying certain sounds, like “s” in “sun,” “sh” in “ship,” or “j” in “jump.”
  • Excessive drooling that continues beyond age 4 years.
  • Difficulty closing the lips to swallow.
  • A history of ear and throat infections.
  • Snoring that occurs without colds or flu being present.

Causes of Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

OMDs may be caused by several factors:

  • Blocked nasal passages because of tonsil and or adenoid size. When the nasal passages are blocked, people may need to breathe through their mouth instead.
  • Anything that (a) causes the tongue to be misplaced when at rest or (b) makes it difficult to keep the lips together when at rest.
  • Thumb sucking or use of a pacifier past the age of 3 years.
  • Allergies that have been and are persistent.

Seeing a Professional

Testing for an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD)

You may see a few professionals to find out if you or your child has an OMD. These professionals may include:

  • a dentist 
  • a dental hygienist
  • an orthodontist 
  • a physician
  • pediatrician
  • E.N.T specialist
  • a speech pathologist

Your dentist, hygienist, and orthodontist will look at you or your child’s teeth, the alignment, and how the jaw moves. The doctor, pediatrician, and/or E.N.T. might test your or your child for allergies and check the nose, tonsils and adenoids. A speech pathologist will evaluate speech disorders. Often, resolving the issue fully will require a multi-disciplinary approach to achieve full success.