Dr. Virginia D

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are disorders of the muscles and functions of the face and mouth. OMDs may affect, directly and/or indirectly, breastfeeding, facial skeletal growth and development, chewing, swallowing, speech, occlusion, temporomandibular joint movement, oral hygiene, stability of orthodontic treatment, facial esthetics, and more. Most OMDs originate with insufficient habitual nasal breathing or with oral breathing. The subsequent adaptation of the muscles and the orofacial functions to a disordered breathing pattern creates many OMDs. These disorders may impact treatments by orthodontists, dentists, dental hygienists, speech-language pathologists, and other professionals working in the oral cavity. Some Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) and their symptoms can be, but are not limited to: mouth breathing, short upper lip, a high and narrow palate, tongue thrust, jaw pain, cross bite, nail biting, dental problems, cosmetic problems, sleep disordered breathing,low muscle tone, temporomandibular joint problems, orofacial pain, sleep walking, bed wetting, night terrors, nightmares, clenching, grinding, tongue ties, swallowing dysfunction, forward head posture, anterior open bite. I am happy to do a phone consultation to determine if myofunctional therapy may be a benefit for you or for your child.