Who We Are

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Orofacial myofunctional disorders, often referred to as a tongue thrust, occur when the muscles of the mouth and face develop atypical patterns. When this happens over time, it can cause a multitude of problems including poor tongue resting posture and tongue thrust when swallowing. These disorders also contribute to poor jaw growth and unwanted movement of teeth before, during or after orthodontics.

Orofacial myofunctional treatment focuses on treating the oral and facial muscles as they contribute to the skills of speech production, proper resting position of the tongue, chewing and swallowing. 

Our individualized treatment promotes optimal orofacial muscle development and function. Muscles that rest in the proper position have a positive impact on dental health, speech, swallowing and breathing.

Children can have trouble saying speech sounds clearly or correctly. This can make it hard for them to be understood by others.

Some children may say some sounds the wrong way when they talk, sometimes they substitute one sound for another, and sometimes they can leave out a sound entirely. When children do not say sounds correctly by expected ages, they might be diagnosed with an articulation, phonological or motor speech disorder. 

Speech sound disorders are treated first by determining if the disorder is a delay in the development of speech production or if the child is having trouble moving his or her lips, tongue and jaw appropriately to form speech sounds. Treatment consists of helping the child attain intelligible, connected speech from words to conversation.