Mouth breathing, thumb, finger and/or teat sucking, nail biting, faulty lip and tongue habits at rest and during swallowing and speaking are all examples of deviant oral behaviour. Aberrant oral behaviour can lead to an abnormal position of the teeth and/or jaw and an imbalance of the facial and oral muscles. This manifests itself in articulation problems, swallowing problems, muscle and/or joint pains, sleep problems and an underdeveloped face.
In this OroMyoFunctional Therapy (OMFT), deviant mouth behaviour is unlearned and muscle functions are restored, as they would have been if there had been no deviant mouth behaviour. Among other things, clients are taught how to keep the correct lip closure and tongue position at rest, and the correct tongue position when swallowing and speaking is practised.
Treatment is most effective between the ages of six and eight. OMFT significantly reduces the risk of relapse with articulation therapy, orthodontic treatment or surgical jaw correction.
