Better Function. Better Health. Better Life.

Myofunctional Therapy has helped
thousands of individuals for
over 30 years!

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Better Function. Better Health. Better Life.

Better Function. Better Health. Better Life.

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

OMD

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD’s) are any habit or condition that interferes with proper development and action of the orofacial muscles.

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Signs & Symptoms

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders can include thumb/finger sucking, resting with the lips apart, a forward resting posture of the tongue between or against the teeth, tongue thrust, gag reflex, orthodontic relapse and misaligned teeth.

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How does Myofunctional Therapy Work?

We will create an individualized program to retrain your orofacial muscles and improve function. Some goals of your training might include normalizing the resting posture for your tongue and lips, establishing nasal breathing patterns, or eliminating harmful habits like thumb-sucking.

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OMD

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMD’s) are any habit or condition that interferes with proper development and action of the orofacial muscles.

Learn More

Signs & Symptoms

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders can include thumb/finger sucking, resting with the lips apart, a forward resting posture of the tongue between or against the teeth, tongue thrust, gag reflex, orthodontic relapse and misaligned teeth.

Learn More

How Does Myofunctional Therapy Work?

We will create an individualized program to retrain your orofacial muscles and improve function. Some goals of your training might include normalizing the resting posture for your tongue and lips, establishing nasal breathing patterns, or eliminating harmful habits like thumb-sucking.

Learn More

OMDs affect people of all ages

OMDs affect people of all ages

Children, teenagers, and adults may suffer from Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders. OMDs may interfere with normal growth and development of the muscles and bones of the face and mouth. OMDs may also interfere with how the muscles of the face and mouth are used for eating, talking, and breathing. People who have an OMD may also have problems with talking, swallowing, and breathing through their nose. Some children push out their tongue when they talk, drink, or eat. This is called tongue thrusting and it is one type of OMD.

Do you suffer from any of these?

People with myofunctional habits can identify many symptoms, but are often unable to tie it all together.

A Myofunctional Therapist will help identify the concerns and educate the patient on why treatment is necessary.
The symptoms, or concerns, of the patient include but are not limited to the following:

Tongue Thrust

Open Mouth Breathing

  • Mouth Breathing

  • Orthodontic Relapse

  • Chronic Tension

  • Mood Disorders

  • Jaw Pain

  • Noxious Oral Habits
  • Tongue Thrust

  • Snoring

  • Chronic Headaches

  • Grinding

  • Swallowing Difficulty

  • Poor Posture

  • Sleep Apnea

  • Tongue-Tie

  • Speech Problems

  • Digestive Issues

Orthodontic Relapse

Tongue Tie

Do you suffer from any of these?

People with myofunctional habits can identify many symptoms, but are often unable to tie it all together.

A Myofunctional Therapist will help identify the concerns and educate the patient on why treatment is necessary.
The symptoms, or concerns, of the patient include but are not limited to the following:

  • Mouth Breathing

  • Orthodontic Relapse

  • Chronic Tension

  • Mood Disorders

  • Jaw Pain

  • Noxious Oral Habits
  • Tongue Thrust

  • Snoring

  • Chronic Headaches

  • Grinding

  • Swallowing Difficulty

  • Poor Posture

  • Sleep Apnea

  • Tongue-Tie

  • Speech Problems

  • Digestive Issues

Tongue Thrust

Open Mouth Breathing

Orthodontic Relapse

Tongue Tie

Benefits of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

Breathe, Sleep, Live, Smile

The purpose of myofunctional therapy is to retrain the muscles and to obtain a normal resting posture of the tongue, lips and jaw.

Our program is appropriate for children, teens and adults. Program goals are individualized and are meant to create new healthy oral habits. The benefit of healthy habits can include nasal breathing, a proper swallow pattern, favorable resting tongue position and preserving orthodontic results from this program.

Breathing

The approach to therapy emphasizes training in the correct resting postures of the tongue and lips all with the goal of facilitation proper nasal/diaphragm breathing. The nose’s primary function is inhaling oxygen, followed by filtering air, warming, and moisturizing it- this allows our body to get more usable oxygen which can have a profound impact on the growth and development of the face and airway.

Better Sleep

Multiple studies have shown myofunctional therapy as a great way to address and help to treat sleep apnea.

Straightens Teeth

Performing the exercises trains the tongue and oral muscles to work properly, which encourages a wider dental arch, allowing room for teeth to straighten naturally.

Alleviate Jaw Pain

Myofunctional therapy exercises are a great option to help with jaw pain – they are non-invasive, require no dental appliances and can cause no harm.

Corrects Swallowing

A person swallows 500-1000 times per day, so incorrect swallowing can contribute to a number of problems.

About Kari Leen RDH

About Kari Leen, RDH

Becoming aware of what myofunctional therapy is and learning how it can help others is what started me on my journey to becoming an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist. I have always considered myself a lifelong learner, and in the 26 years I have been a Dental Hygienist I have enjoyed working with patients of all ages and providing education on health that goes beyond just the teeth. Orofacial Myology (OM) is a natural extension of what I was already doing. For years, I had seen things such as overactive gag reflex, mouth breathing, ankyloglossia (tongue-tie), sleep and TMJ disorders in my patients. I recognized the symptoms, but did not fully know how to identify or treat them. OM was the missing piece I needed to put the puzzle together. As I directed my desire to always be learning into this area, my knowledge and understanding of OM grew. 

I now enjoy providing orofacial myofunctional services to clients of all ages 5 and up, to help improve overall function of breathing, chewing & swallowing, facial development, orthodontic relapse, open bite, sleep and TMJ disorders. My goal is to help you improve your physical and mental health, and I look forward to working with you!  

Contact Kari