A Pediatric Dentist Guide to Orofacial

Myology
Katherine M Bowman, MS, CCC-SLP
Kirk N Bowman, BA Orofacial Myologist
Anaheim Hills Speech and Language Center

April 26, 2013

What is Myofunctional
Therapy?

The goals of myofunctional

therapy are to:

Promote a lip seal

Promote a lingual-palatal resting posture
Facilitate nasal breathing
Promote a posterior teeth together
swallowing
Facilitate bilateral chewing
Facilitate correct drinking
Eliminate negative oral habits

HISTORY OF OROFACIAL
MYOLOGY
1907 Edward H. Angle published
Malocclusion of the Teeth
Recognized that the tongues resting position
could possibly be an orthodontic obstacle.
Believed that the etiology of the compromised
resting posture was due to mouth breathing.
Noted that a Class II Division I malocclusion was
always accompanied by mouth breathing.

HISTORY cont.
Concerns also focused on any form of nasal obstruction.
Contended that the tongue and lip rest posture with nasal
breathing were of paramount importance.
Recognized that oral habits that were powerful and
persistent could cause and maintain a malocclusion.
Oral habits were hard to overcome; and success in treatment
was hopeless unless such habits were eliminated.

HISTORY cont.
1918 Alfred R. Rogers
Recommended an alteration of orofacial muscles with
exercises to develop tonicity and proper muscle function.
Believed that muscle function influences proper occlusion.
Was the first to contend than an imbalance of facial
muscles resulted in malocclusion.
Developed a series of exercises for each facial muscle and
proposed the concept of muscles as living orthodontic
appliances.

HISTORY cont.
Benno E. Lischer authored two texts on orthodontics 1909
and 1912. He was later credited as being the first to call
Alfred Rogers exercise series myofunctional therapy.

Primary Oral habits

Persistent open lip resting posture
Abnormal tongue resting posture

Oral phase dysphagia

Additional Oral habits:

thumb, finger, and pacifier sucking

tongue or lip sucking
Clenching, grinding/bruxism
persistent lip licking
cheek, lip or tongue chewing
nail biting
pen / pencil chewing / hair chewing
constant leaning on chin or cheek
abnormal speech patterns

Lips
Closed Lip Posture
Appearance
Nasal Breathing
Benefits

Closed Lip posture

More desirable facial outlook

Closed Lip posture

Through history people have been represented with
proper lip seal at rest.

Closed Lip posture

Infants instinctively 100%

nasal breathers at birth

Closed lip Nasal Breathing

Benefits
Filters and warms incoming air
Increases the body's ability to absorb
oxygen

Reduces pulse rate

Aides in correcting tongue thrust
Reduces snoring

Filters and warms

incoming air
Vibrissae (nose hair)

Removes larger particles

Mucus

Traps and holds microscopic matter

Pollen, dust, and bacteria
Swallowed, expectorated, blown away

Turbinates

Directs airflow, heats, humidifies

Improves Oxygen absorption

The respiratory system of carbon dioxide and oxygen
exchange occurs in the alveoli of the lungs.
When there is proper oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange the
blood will maintain a balanced pH.
If carbon dioxide is lost too quickly, as in mouth breathing,
oxygen absorption is decreased.
There is a negative pressure built in the lungs, thereby
decreasing the blood absorption of oxygen.
Because the breathing mechanism (nerve Innervations) is
situated in the nose and not in the mouth, the brain thinks
carbon dioxide is being lost too quickly through the nose
The brain sensing this, will stimulate the goblet cells to
produce mucous and slow the breathing.

Improves Oxygen absorption

A physician in Stockholm discovered the paranasal sinuses are
powerful producers of nitric oxide (NO).
Although this gas is considered a pollutant in the atmosphere, in
small doses , it is lethal to bacteria and viruses.
The Sinuses are moist warm and bacteria-friendly. They should be
perfect places for bacteria to live. He believes it is the nitric oxide
that keeps the sinuses sterile.
He found that nitric oxide is a strong vasodilator a substance that
dilates blood vessels.
Since the sinuses create high concentration of nitric oxide, when we
breath through our noses the NO travels down the airway to the
lungs.
It has been shown that arterial oxygenation increases during nasal
breathing compared to oral breathing.

Reduces Pulse rate

With increased oxygenation of the blood the
heart does not have to work as hard to supply
the body with oxygen

Aides in correcting tongue

thrust
There is a direct physiological
correlation between a closed lip
posture and the bodies ability to
maintain a correct tongue resting
posture

Reduces Snoring
A closed lip nasal breathing pattern with
the tongue in the correct resting posture
can help maintain airflow

Lips
Open Lip Posture
Appearance
Mouth Breathing
Causes

Persistent open lip posture

Mouth breathing
Primary Causes
Nasal airway obstruction
Enlarged Tonsils
Enlarged Adenoids
Deviated septum
Nasal foreign bodies
Enlarged nasal turbinates
Allergies
Restricted Labial Frenum

Enlarged Tonsils

Adenoids/Tonsils
Purpose:
They're a mass of tissue in the breathing
passages. By producing antibodies to help the
body fight infections, they help to control
bacteria and viruses that enter through the
nose and mouth.

Adenoids

Symptoms of Enlarged Adenoids

Difficulty breathing through the nose

Breathing through the mouth
Talking as if the nostrils are pinched
Noisy breathing

Symptoms of Enlarged Adenoids

Snoring
Stopped breathing for a few seconds during
sleep (sleep apnea)
Frequent "sinus" symptoms
Ongoing middle ear infections or middle ear
fluid in a school-aged child
Change in Face (adenoid Facies)

Adenoid Facies

Deviated Septum

Persistent Allergies
Sensitivities to the Three Ds
Dust
Dairy products
animal Dander

Allergic Salute

Allergic salute crease

Allergic Shiners

Restricted Labial Frenum

Mouth Breathing
Health Concerns
Lacks the benefits of Nasal Breathing
No air Filtering
Nose hair
Foreign objects/large particles

Mucus
Keeps tissue damp
Traps dust and bacteria

Mouth Breathing
Health Concerns cont.
Heating and humidifying the air
Turbinates
Mucus

Dry Mouth

Mouth Breathing
Development Concerns
Low forward tongue Posture

The tongue no longer provides support for the upper jaw affecting
the upper arch size.
The palatal vault rises leading to reduction in the size of the nasal
passages contributing to nasal restriction.
Mouth breathers with a low tongue rest posture often carry their
head forward in order to open their airway
Any head posture where the head is not held level will have an
influence on the shape, size and position of all the bones in the
skull/cranium

Mouth Breathing
Development Concerns

The black line shows recessive facial development typical of a mouthbreather.

The red line shows facial balance that would result
with good oral posture.
The green line indicates the tilting back of the forehead
to alleviate airway problems

Posture

Tongue Tied

The lingual frenum is the thin strand of tissue

underneath the tongue that anchors the lingual
musculature to the floor of the mouth

Tight Lingual frenum

A tight lingual frenum attachment restricts proper function of
the tongue and it can cause low and forward tongue resting
posture
Many times the back of the tongue (extrinsic muscles) are
restricted; not just the front
A lingual frenum that is restricted anteriorly often contributes
to an anterior tongue thrust by keeping the tongue down and
forward; which can create an anterior open bite
It can also effect the developing shape of the palate, because
the tongue can not move up to rest properly on the palate;
and a cross bite often develops

Poor oral posture

Correct tongue resting

posture
Proper oral posture means that at rest the tongue is to
the roof of the mouth, the teeth are touching or slightly
apart, and the lips are together without strain
When a child grows up with proper oral posture the face
develops in appropriate balance according to its genetic
plan
Proper oral posture contributes to a more stable
orthodontic result.

Proper tongue posture

Tongue posture

Normal Swallow
Saliva
With the tongue resting in the normal position and the lips closed, the posterior
teeth occlude, the lips are sucked back against the anterior teeth, the tip of the
tongue remains primarily against the alveolar ridge, the remainder of the
tongue elevates against the palate, and the saliva is propelled posteriorly
and swallowed.

Drinking
The liquid is ingested either a sip at a time or continuously. Following each sip
the teeth usually occlude and the tongue lifts against the alveolar ridge and
palate. During continuous drinking the tongue may "float" in the middle of the
mouth, the head remains fairly still, and gravity helps move the liquid posteriorly
in the mouth

Normal Swallow
Eating
The person takes a moderate-sized bite of food, keeping the tongue inside
the mouth as the food approaches. She or he chews with the lips closed,
allowing cheek and lip muscles to move the food toward the tongue. As soon
as the saliva generated mixes well enough with the food to form a cohesive
bolus, the bolus is collected in the middle of the upper surface of the tongue.
The tip is positioned against the upper alveolar process, the sides of the
tongue are placed against the gums along the sides of the arch, and no food
is allowed to escape laterally or anteriorly during the swallow. The molars
are occluded, the lip and cheek muscles relaxed, and the food is moved
posteriorly by a lifting or squeezing action of the tongue. First the blade lifts,
then the posterior portion, while the tip and sides of the tongue retain their
contact with the alveolar process. When the swallow is completed, the teeth
and tongue are free of food particles.

Correct swallow

Correct swallow
Clean teeth and pallet

Abnormal Swallow
Saliva

The molars may or may not occlude. The muscles

constituting the lips and those feeding into the lips from
around the mouth may contract noticeably. The tongue
pushes forward against the teeth, creating a seal that allows
suction to move the saliva toward the back of the oral
cavity. The swallow is accompanied by sustained pressure of
the tongue against the teeth.
Drinking

The same pattern occurs as in abnormal saliva handling,

with the tongue pushing against the anterior teeth. The
tongue may be seen to reach for the glass or cup as it
approaches the mouth.

Pump Swallow

Abnormal Swallow

Eating

The person may take an exceptionally large bite of food. He or she

chews it without making full use of facial muscles to move it onto
the grinding surfaces of the molars and onto the tongue. Instead,
the tongue moves the food, first against the teeth, then later away
from the teeth. Chewing is inefficient, and no well-formed bolus
results. Scattered portions of food are moved posteriorly by the
creation of an anterior seal between the tongue tip and blade,
anterior teeth, and one or both lips. The molars are not occluded,
and the tongue remains wedged between the upper and lower
teeth, all around the arch. The circumoral muscles contract,
especially the mentalis; the muscles of mastication remain flaccid,
and suction carries the food back to the pharynx. When the swallow
is completed, the tongue has not been effectively cleared of food
particles, nor have the teeth. The tongue then often carries out a
cleaning procedure by pushing against the anterior and side teeth.

Abnormal Swallow

Anterior Incomplete Tongue Thrust

Anterior Complete Tongue Thrust

Anterior/bilateral tongue thrust

Facial Grimace

Sucking Habits
Thumb
Finger
Fist
Pacifier

Thumb, Finger, Fist or Pacifier Sucking

Babies have natural rooting and sucking reflexes to put their thumb,
fingers or even fist in their mouths and suck.
Sucking is a primary need for nourishment
More than 80% of babies do some non-nutritional sucking (NNS).
Thumb sucking typically begins by age 3 months; however, in some cases
sonograms show the infant sucking prior to birth.
The sucking need is strongest during the first 6 months of life.
Thumb sucking tends to decrease when the infant starts eating solid
food.
The sucking action soothes the infant when upset by regulating their
heartbeat and breathing pattern.
Continuous sucking action stimulates the TMJ and creates calmness.
Endorphins are released and the child becomes more relaxed, calm and
happythus leading towards an addiction.

Sucking Habits
Research shows that thumb or finger sucking
can have a negative impact on oral development
as young as 2-4 years of age.
15% of 4 year olds still suck their thumbs.
It is estimated that 4 out of 10 children between
birth and 16 years of age engage in digit sucking
at some time during their lives.

Sucking Habits
The intensity and duration of the sucking are critical factors
determining whether or not dental problems may result.

Passive Sucking
Active Sucking

There is often an associated habit that goes along with the

primary habit. For instance, a thumb sucker may hold a favorite
blanket or twirl their hair.
Chandler in 1878 was among the first dentists to correlate thumb
and finger sucking habits with specific facial deformities.

Sucking Habits
Dental malocclusions from habitual thumb/finger habits
tend to fall into three categories:
Overbite, or protrusion of the upper front teeth,
sometimes with the lower front teeth tilting backwards.
Open bite, or an opening of the front teeth to
accommodate the thumb or pacifier.
A Posterior crossbite or constriction of the upper arch
resulting in the teeth shifting to one side or moving totally
inside the lower arch.

Sucking Habits
Research indicates:
Malocclusions appeared to diminish in
prevalence and severity as digit sucking declines.
Open bites and overbites caused by the sucking
habit will tend to correct on their own once the
habit is stopped; as long as it is in the primary
dentition (no permanent teeth involved).
Posterior Crossbites do not tend to correct
themselves and often need orthodontic
correction.

Sucking Habits
The American Dental Association advises that a
child can probably suck his thumb until he/she is
4 or 5 years old without damaging his teeth or
jaw line.

The ADA notes that sucking the thumb can lead

to damage with the permanent teeth,
specifically with the way the mouth grows and
the way the teeth are aligned.

Sucking Habits
The ideal age to have a digit sucking habit addressed and
corrected is felt to be around age 5 years; before the permanent
teeth erupt and to avoid any socialization problems as the child
enters kindergarten.

For most adolescents and adults a thumb sucking habit is very

difficult to stop. The associations built up over a lifetime entrench
the habit very deeply within the individuals personality.

The long standing thumb/finger sucking habit may be eliminated

but replaced with another maladaptive oral habit such as tongue
sucking which is less noticeable.

Pacifier Habit

Pacifier Habit
Parents will often ask which is worse thumb sucking or pacifier
sucking. Studies of thumb suckers show they have a greater
problem in breaking their habit than do pacifier suckers (Adair
2003). Think about itYou cant take the thumb away!
In Western countries approximately 75-85% of children use a
pacifier (Niemela, Uhari & Hannukseta, 1994)
From a dental standpoint some pacifiers are better than others.
However, it is really the way a child sucks the pacifier rather than
the type that determines whether there are related orthodontic
problems. Some kids can suck all day long and not move their
teeth. Others will develop an open bite, overbite, or posterior
crossbite.

Pacifier Habit
Advantages of Pacifier use:

Facilitates calming and soothing of young infants

(Adair, 2003)
Stimulates the sucking reflex (Boshart, 2001)
Aids in coordination of the suck, swallow, breath
in preterm infants (Boshart, 2001)
A potential preventative measure in SIDS (Hauck,
Omojokum & Siadty, 2005)

Pacifier Habit

Disadvantages of Pacifier use:

Correlation between early pacifier use and a decline in breastfeeding

(Barros, Victora, Semer, Filho, Tomasi & Weiderpass, 1995)
Correlation between pacifier use and occurrences of acute otitis media in
infants (Niemela, Uhari & Mottonen, 1995)
Increased occurrences of dental anomalies; anterior and posterior
crossbites, open bites, overjet and dental arches (Larsson, 1994)
Dental anomalies with possible link to speech articulation problems
(Boshart, 2001)
Tongue thrust causing recurrence of anterior open bite following
orthodontic correction and subsequent distortion of /s/ and /z/ and
lingual alveolar consonants /t/, /d/ and /l/ (Van Norman, 2001)

Pacifier Habit

Tongue and/or Lip Sucking

Tongue and/or Lip Sucking

Tongue sucking typically begins in childhood
infants suckle on their tongue as a calming mechanism

Lip sucking typically begins in childhood

when mental attention and concentration are required in stressful
situations.

Once the habit is formed it typically continues even when the stress
has been eliminated.

Lip sucking may involve the sucking of the lower lip in isolation or in
combination with thumb sucking or even with tongue sucking
The child may place their upper lip over their lower lip and suck the
lip tissue on both simultaneously.

Tongue and/or Lip Sucking

Barberia et al (2006) stated:

When the child continuously raises the lower lip over the upper lip during
sucking this causes a puckering in the chin because of the continued
overuse of the mentalis.

A strong contraction of the lower lips orbicularis muscle promotes

overuse of these structures.
The mentalis muscle associated with hypertonicity in the upper lip due to
the sucking action must be counteracted by tongue thrust during
deglutition, possibly causing an overjet.
In sucking cases where the lower lip is repeatedly held beneath the upper
front teeth the result is usually an open bite.

CLENCHING OR
GRINDING/BRUXISM
Bruxism is defined as the prolonged, unintentional grinding
and clenching of the teeth, usually occurring during sleep.
Bruxism is more common in children than in adults
Estimated to occur in 5 to 20% of the 3-17 year old age group
In younger children it often stops by the time the permanent
teeth appear
Numerous reports have shown bruxism to be related to sleep
disorders and sleep apnea.
Bruxism is the most damaging, most frequently seen, and
most frequently missed of all of the destructive oral habits;
which can destroy the form and integrity of the incisal edges
of the anterior teeth.

LIP LICKING HABIT

Habitual licking of the lips and the surrounding skin causes a
condition called lip lickers dermatitis. When lip licking is
done continually, the enzymes in our saliva actually break
down the skin in the area around the mouth causing the
area to become increasingly dry, cracked and red.

CHEEK, LIP OR TONGUE

CHEWING
Tongue chewing often starts as a convenient
alternative to thumb sucking, as a way to
conceal the habit; which then transitioned
into its own behavioral pattern or habit.
Tongue chewing looks like a natural chewing
motion so it goes unnoticed.

FINGERNAIL BITING
Nail biting is often a learned habit that may
provide a physical mechanism for stress relief
and/or anxiety.

The most destructive of the fingernail habits

involves the patient's wedging the fingernail
in an interdental area that eventually
becomes a space.

HAIR CHEWING
Sucking or chewing ones own hair is a
common comfort habit, like thumb-sucking,
which many kids adopt for a time, before
naturally growing out of it.
Trichophagia- Compulsive hair-chewing and
swallowing of the hair.

Clothes Chewing

PEN/PENCIL CHEWING
This habit became considerably more
destructive when pencils changed from wood
to the newer plastic types.

It is not uncommon to see this habit in

students who spend a great deal of time
completing their homework.

SPEECH/ARTICULATION
ISSUES
The /s/ sound is the most noted articulation error lisp
other sounds that can be affected include:
/z/, /sh/, /ch/, /j/, /d/, /t/, /n/, /l/ and /r/.
Interdentalized production of /t/, /d/, /n/ and /l/
sounds.

An incidence level of orofacial myofunctional disorders

of 81% was reported in children exhibiting
speech/articulation problems.

Lateral Lisp

Frontal Lisp

How OMT differs from

Dental Treatment
OMT is not a dental treatment
Dentists and Orthodontists are primarily concerned with
teeth together relationships
Dental-occlusal
Jaw manipulations
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapists are concerned with
teeth-apart postures and behaviors
Muscle retraining

What can you look for?

Lips
Primarily closed? Open?

Tongue posture
Is the tongue visible if lips are open?
With a closed lip patient, is tongue visible when smiling

What can you look for?

Physical Posture
Sitting
Standing

What can you look for?

Nasal Breathing
Normal
Every six seconds
Diaphragm/stomach
Abnormal
Every three seconds
Clavicular/shoulders
Noisy breathing

What can you look for?

Lip lickers dermatitis

What can you look for?

IN SUMMARY
Orofacial myofunctional therapy strives to establish:
optimal nasal breathing with appropriate lip seal
appropriate vertical space between the dental arches
"freeway space"
tongue resting against the palate
relaxed facial muscle
establish and habituate correct chewing and swallowing
patterns
eliminate maladaptive oral myofunctional habits

Efficacy of Myofunctional Therapy

Orofacial myofunctional therapy procedures with OMDs are proven
effective, consistent, and successful. As the field of orofacial
myology grows to include a truly multi-disciplinary team approach
changes in terminology and perspectives are occurring reflecting
the evolving State-of-the-Art.

Hahn & Hahn (1992), which reported that treatment for orofacial
myofunctional disorders, can be 80-90% effective in correcting rest
posture, swallowing and other oral functions and that these
corrections are retained years after completing therapy.

Smithpeter and Covell (AJODO, May 2010) compared the relapse

rate of orthodontic appliances with and without orofacial
myofunctional therapy. Results revealed that OMT with
orthodontic treatment was efficacious in closing and maintaining
closure of dental open bites in Angle Class I and Class II
malocclusions, and it dramatically reduced the relapse of open bites
in patients who had forward tongue posture and tongue thrust.

THE FUTURE IS HERE

From 1907 to Present..
The field of Orofacial Myofunctional therapy has now arrived...we are
now an international multi-disciplinary field including: Orofacial
Myologists, Speech-Language Pathologists, Pediatric Dentists,
Orthodontists, Dental Hygienists Otolaryngologists, Pediatric Medicine,
Maxio-facial Specialists, Sleep Disorders Specialists.

The Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT)

The International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM)
Currently in Brazil there are more than 20 universities doing PhD level
research in orofacial myofunctional therapy. Research is currently on
going in a variety of areas related to OMD.

THE FUTURE IS HERE

The California Dental Hygiene Association (CDHA) has voted to
make 2013 the Year of Myofunctional Therapy and has asked
the AOMT to establish development training programs on the
science and research behind OMT and how to diagnose Orofacial
Myofunctional Disorders.

The California Association of Orthodontists (CAO), in association

with the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) has joined
with the AOMT to explore adding OMT to the checklist of items all
parents should consider before putting their children in braces.

The Canadian Dental Association has had fee codes for some time
for Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy.

Current Research
Just to demonstrate here are a few of
the recently published studies showing
research in a multitude of areas related
to OMDs:

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