Has your dentist mentioned that your child or teen might have a “tongue thrust”?

Has your child been in speech therapy for some time with little gains toward increasing ability to make new sounds/words or increase intelligibility of speech?

Does your child produce a lot of speech sounds with their tongue too far forward in their mouth?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, your child may benefit from what is known as Orofacial Myology.

It’s important to note that most orofacial disorders develop at an early age when children are developing rapidly. At KIDS we believe it’s important to support proper muscle function at this age to help address concerns and support healthy growth and development as your child grows.

Common issues we see in children include:

• Open mouth posture
• Forward head posture
• Crowded teeth
• Incorrect chewing function
• Altered speech patterns
• Tongue thrusting (an incorrect swallowing pattern)
• Short upper lip
• Incorrect tongue rest position (such as forward resting posture)
• Noisy/messy eating
• Excessive drooling
• Bedwetting
• Snoring/grinding

These issues can be caused by:

• Mouth breathing
• Thumb/finger sucking
• Clothes chewing
• Prolonged pacifier use
• Nail-biting
• Cheek and lip biting
• Enlarged tonsils/adenoids
• Nasal blockages/allergies
• A narrow and/or high arch palate
• Tongue and/or lip restrictions

How can we help?

At KIDS we take a holistic approach to supporting your child’s health. We will work with you and your child on things like:

• Screening for possible sleep/developmental/airway issues (Airways and Sleep in Children)
• Training the muscles to function properly
• Focus on correcting chewing and swallowing patterns
• Fun, simple exercises to incorporate into your daily routine
• Empowering your child with the skills and knowledge to address their oral habits

Orofacial Myology may help support your child’s development and address some concerns. Results vary between patients, and some children may still require additional treatment depending on their individual needs.

Contact us today to book an appointment.