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Am I Too Old for Tongue Thrust Therapy or Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT)?

January 2017

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: facial shape, International Association of Orofacial Myology, myology, OMD, OMDs, OMT, orofacial, orofacial myofunctional, orofacial myofunctional disorder, orofacial myofunctional therapy, orofacial myology, ortho, orthodontic, orthodontics — drfranklin @ 1:26 am

Sarah Smith

My patient, Sarah, age 30 years, sent me this selfie photo when her orthodontic braces were removed. Look at that gorgeous smile!

“Am I too old for tongue thrust therapy or Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?”

I get asked this question everyday and the answer is, “Absolutely Not!”

The oldest patient I have seen for orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) has been 76 years of age!

Like any other exercise based treatment program, it’s effective for patients of almost any age but I have found success is dependent upon two main ingredients:

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CAN THUMB SUCKING ALTER YOUR CHILD’S FACIAL APPEARANCE?

December 2016

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: International Association of Orofacial Myology, OMT, orofacial, orofacial myofunctional, orofacial myofunctional disorder, orofacial myofunctional therapy, orofacial myology, thumb, thumb and fingersucking habits, thumbsucking — drfranklin @ 11:58 am

Although it is normal for babies to suck their thumb, doing so long-term could negatively affect their oral and facial development.

When children suck their thumbs or fingers, they can affect their teeth and jaws in different ways. Some children create what is commonly known as a dental openbite (a vertical space between the upper and lower teeth where the teeth do not touch). Openbites are notoriously the most difficult to correct.

Other children will suck so that it appears that their top teeth are “sticking out”. Surprisingly, in cases like these, it usually is the BOTTOM JAW that we are more concerned about. This is because the thumb or finger is preventing the lower jaw from coming forward and growing properly. Pressure applied from the thumb against the chin can affect the normal growth of the jaw which negatively affects the child’s face.

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Do These Appliances Eliminate a Tongue Thrust?

October 2016

Filed under: Uncategorized — drfranklin @ 8:15 am

Habit Appliances

I get asked all the time if dental appliances, as seen above, can eliminate a tongue thrust or orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD). The answer is “NO” and the article below, the “Position Statement of the International Association of Orofacial Myology Regarding Appliance Use for Oral Habit Patterns,” explains why.

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Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders and Otolaryngologists

September 2016

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: airway, airway interfernece, ENT, International Association of Orofacial Myology, OMD, OMDs, orofacial, orofacial myofunctional, orofacial myofunctional disorder, orofacial myofunctional therapy, orofacial myology, otolaryngologist, tongue thrust — drfranklin @ 11:09 am

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I am proud to share the publication of an article I co-authored with Dr. Robert Mason, Emeritus Professor of Surgery and Previous Chief of Orthodontics at Duke University Medical Center, entitled,”Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders and Otolaryngologists”. The purpose of the article is to alert otolaryngologists to Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) and their primary causes of airway interference including allergies. An understanding of the variety of OMDs should facilitate improved communications between otolaryngologists and IAOM Certified Orofacial Myologists since Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy will not be successful without the resolution of airway interference.

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Does a “Tongue Thrust” cause anterior open bites?

August 2016

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: anterior open bite, gap, incorrect resting tongue, International Association of Orofacial Myology, myofunctional, open bite, opening, orofacial, orofacial myofunctional, orofacial myofunctional disorder, orofacial myofunctional therapy, orofacial myology, tongue, tongue thrust, tongue thrust swallowing — drfranklin @ 2:04 pm

Before & After Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

For years, dentists have told their patients that anterior open bites (bites where there is a gap or opening between the upper and lower front teeth) are created when the tongue is pushed between the front teeth during swallowing known as a “tongue thrust”.

Although the tongue is one of the strongest and most active muscles in the body, does swallowing actually cause dental malocclusions like an anterior open bite?

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