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FAQs

General Questions

What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)?

Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is neuromuscular re-education exercises to assist the normalization of the developing, or developed, craniofacial structures and function. OMT is the study, research, prevention, evaluation, and treatment of functional and structural alterations in the region of the mouth (oro), face (facial) and regions of the neck (oropharyngeal area).

What are the goals of OMT?

The four goals of OMT are nasal breathing, lip seal, proper tongue posture and correct oral phase of the swallowing pattern.

What are the main problems related to Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs)?

The main problems related to OMDs are alterations in breathing, sucking, chewing, as well the position of the lips, tongue (including what is known as oral rest posture), and cheeks.

What age range do you work with?

My sweet spot tends to be with the 4-16 age range and those of any age struggling with TMJ pain. However, I am trained to help all ages and my practice is open to anyone age 1 to 101!

The Treatment Process

What can I expect during a comprehensive functional evaluation?

Our team looks at a list of things during a myofunctional therapy examination, including but not limited to:

Tonsils and adenoids

Mouth breathing vs. nasal breathing

Where the tongue rests in the mouth

Tongue-tie

Orthodontic treatment

Jaw pain and dysfunction

Head, neck, and facial pain

Snoring and sleep apnea

Facial structure and growth

Compensations

Habits such as thumb and finger sucking

How does therapy work?

We will send you forms from our EHR software asking you to fill out paperwork. Remember to check your spam folder if you do not receive paperwork in a timely manner. We will review chief complaints, medical history and evaluate the next steps.

We will schedule a full functional evaluation which is approximately an hour. If the evaluation is in person you simply just need to show up to our office. If online, we send an additional document through the EHR portal with all of the photos that need to be taken prior to the appointment and uploaded into the portal. Please read the instructions carefully so we get great starting photos. Great initial photos are key to show progress. On those photo instructions, you will find the tools you will need to bring for that appointment. Key points for a virtual functional evaluation are good lighting and a fast Internet service .

After the full functional evaluation, if you choose to move forward with therapy, you will get a bag of tools in the mail that will be used for therapy. Keep them in a safe place. Items can be replaced with an extra cost.

Therapy appointments (virtual and in-person) are usually 30-45 minutes every 10-14 days.

How long does treatment take?

Treatment lengths vary from patient to patient and depend greatly on level of dysfunction. A general program is 6-9 months. Treatment time varies according to symptoms, chief complaint, compliance/motivation of the patient, and treatment with coordinating care that may be involved.

Can I stop at any time?

Yes. If for any reason you do not want to continue therapy, send us an email and we will be happy to stop or pause your program.

*No refunds for therapy sessions completed, administrative time or kit supplies already completed.

We guide patients through exercises that relate to tongue placement, strength, and breathing.

We want the tongue to rest completely on the roof of the mouth and the lips to stay closed. When these two simple things happen, troublesome symptoms disappear and the big picture problems around braces, jaw pain and sleep apnea become much easier to address.