About MFT
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) is a type of therapy that focuses on retraining the muscles of the face, mouth, and tongue to function properly. It aims to correct issues related to breathing, chewing, swallowing, speech, and even facial posture.
What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)?
Myofunctional Therapy is the "neuromuscular re-education or re-patterning of the oral and facial muscles" that helps treat orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs). These dysfunctions may be termed “Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders” (OMDs), “Soft Tissue Dysfunction”, “Tongue-Thrust Swallow”, “Infantile Swallow” or “Reverse Swallow”.
It’s the treatment of over 100 different interconnected muscles involved in the craniofacial-respiratory complex. It involves targeted face, lip, tongue, jaw, postural, breathing exercises, and other therapeutic activities.
4 Goals of
Myofunctional Therapy
This therapy includes facial and tongue exercises and behavior modification techniques to promote
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Nasel Breathing
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Proper Tounge Rest Posture
(in light suction resting on the palate)
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Lip Seal
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Correct Swallowing Patterns
What are the aims of OMT?
The broad aims of OMT are to:
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Eliminate noxious oral habits
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Lip seal and nasal breathing patterns
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Correct tongue posture
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Posterior teeth together swallow
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Strengthen tongue, oropharynx and lip musculature
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Modify behaviours
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Decrease muscular tension
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Establish bilateral chewing and correct drinking
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Harmonious peri-oral muscle pattern
How long does orofacial Myofunctional therapy take?
Treatment usually consists of a regular program of exercises over a 4 - 12 month period (depending on age) although length of treatment may vary.
Our OMT treatment for adults is provided in four stages of therapy, with each stage requiring approximately 2 - 3 months to complete.
The stages of therapy are:
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Intensive/habit elimination (weekly)
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Function repatterning (bi-weekly)
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Orofacial systems synchronisation (every 3 weeks)
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Habituation (monthly)
Sessions are 20-25 minutes in length and your daily input at home is 5-7 minutes, three times a day.
Myofunctional Therapy UK will assist you in achieving goals with a blend of therapies in addition to OMT, incorporating (if needed):
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Breathing re-education
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Sensory integration
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Cranio-Sacral Therapy
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
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Trigger Point Therapy
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TMJ therapy
What age is Myofunctional Therapy for?
Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) can occur across the lifespan, affect people of all ages and can be found in infants, children, adolescents and adults.
The treatment of OMDs varies based on the age and/or cognitive ability of the patient.
While myofunctional therapy works better for children because their bones are rapidly growing, this treatment is incredibly beneficial for adults, too.
Your body is always changing and the jawbone is one of the most dynamic bones in the body.
Myofunctional therapy keeps everything working properly and prevents functional problems from occurring in the jaw.
Delaying treatment has serious consequences. Early Prevention and intervention bring vital rewards and save money for families.
Want to know more?
Myofunctional Therapy decreases apnea-hypopnea index by approximately 50% in adults and 62% in children. Lowest oxygen saturations, snoring, and sleepiness outcomes improve in adults.
PubMed Central: Myofunctional Therapy to Treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea: A Systemic Review and Meta-analysis.
PMID: 25348130