Frequently Asked Questions

Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are atypical movements and rest postures of the face, mouth, tongue lips and jaw. They may negatively impact dentofacial skeletal growth, healthy nasal breathing patterns, sleep (sleep disorder breathing or obstructive sleep apnea), temporomandibular joint movement and development of orofacial pain, chewing patterns, bolus collection in preparation for the swallow, overall oral hygiene, and compromise progression of and maintenance of long-term stability in orthodontic care.

Ankyloglossia (tongue tie) is often inadvertently correlated as the etiology of  all orofacial myofunctional disorders. While ankyloglossia is a structural condition present at birth, functional deficits associated with ankyloglossia can sometimes be contributory to development of an orofacial myofunctional disorder. Orofacial myofunctional disorders are not feeding disorders and subsequently should not be treated as such. be treated differently and in the right time frame. 

Orofacial myofunctional disorders can and do occur over the lifespan. Healthy babies can often slide into dysfunction during growth years. Healthy teens or adults can later experience them secondary to other injuries, poor orthodontic treatment or health issues. The geriatric population is prone to developing many signs and symptoms with the advent of decreased coordination, muscle tone, trauma, or tooth loss. 

Orofacial myofunctional disorders is a highly specialized area of practice for certain healthcare professionals, especially in the field of speech pathology. Their work puts them in close collaboration with other specialists in healthcare including: pediatricians, otolaryngologists, gastroenterologist, allergist, sleep medicine specialist, dental specialists, physical therapists and chiropractors.

There remains a lot of generalized misperceptions about “myofunctional disorders” by most healthcare practitioners and dental health specialists and the general public.  The idea that it is just a simple practice or exercise regimens and handouts (See YouTube, Facebook groups, etc), further research has revealed that these disorders are much more complex and layered than previously thought.

Therefore, to understand orofacial myofunctional therapy, practitioners need to first understand what they are.   Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are patterns involving oral and orofacial musculature that interfere with normal growth, development, or function of orofacial structures, or call attention to themselves.   OMDs can be found in people of all ages from infancy through the geriatric population.  OMD’s can and do co-occur with a variety of speech and swallowing disorders. OMD often develop via the interplay of learned behaviors, physical/structural variables, genetic and environmental factors.  

The interplay of learned behaviors alongside structural development and other factors is what makes the needs for consistent differential diagnosis so important to therapeutic success.  It is also underscores why written step by step manuals for “therapy” are generally unsuccessful because a single plan cannot possibly accommodate virtually all the subtle differences in symptoms that emerge.  Unfortunately, there just are no “cookbook” methodologies that make this a simple practice approach.  While a simple practice approach of printed handouts, stretches, and recommendation were broadly used in the earliest years of the field, more recent research has found them to be largely unsuccessful in habituating changes in patient patterns.

After years of our own clinical practicum and assessment, the team at Function Focus Academy, have developed a comprehensive clinical diagnostic method for course participants.  This diagnostic methodology subsequently guides course participants on how to apply varied therapeutic techniques to the specific individual needs of the client rather than provide a one size fits all program approach. Not all people are the same. Not all bodies are the same.  Not all responses are the same.  Not all disorders are the same.

The fundamental physiological processes of breathing and swallowing underlie the healthy structural development of the entire orofacial complex.  Dentists who study craniofacial and dentofacial growth patterns have generally seen the tongue and other facial musculature as impediments to healthy development because of atypical function.  Over time therapeutic intervention for “myofunctional disorders” became hyper-focused on the lips-apart rest posture, often resulting from chronic mouth breathing.

There is substantial research evidence to support the understanding that chronic mouth-breathing results in poor orofacial development and malocclusion.  Hence the dental field’s ongoing focus on “airway.”  To address these patterns of mouth-breathing, many professionals advocate for the use of mouth tape, lip tap  for “lip taping” to seal the lips closed.  Unfortunately, while many well-meaning physicians recommend this method, few recognize the inherent danger that might coincide with physically sealing the lips closed and attempting to force nasal breathing. Especially when real nasal obstruction is present. The body will breathe. Nasally or orally. Air wins everytime.

Professionals who work with orofacial myofunctional disorders often focus on dysfunctional patterns by using breathing retraining program or techniques such as Butekyo (Butekyo breathing), Box breathing, and other programs that facilitate diaphragmatic breathing.

Other items commonly recommended by dental professionals to address ongoing airway patterns include using a MyoMunchee, a Myobrace Lip Trainer, SleepyStrip tape or other kinesiotape on the market.  These items have found to be useful when in conjunction with therapeutic services and not as a replacement for therapy. 

The team at FunctionFocus Academy remains to dedicated to educating and producing quality clinician.  At this time our courses are a hybrid of both online learning and in-person lab based practiced learning.  

Diagnosis and treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders is not a profession but a designated scope of practice for currently licensed professionals. Proof of educational background is required. Proof of licensure is required to register.

In recent years for-profit businesses that teach educational courses have main broad claims regarding becoming “certified.”  Virtually every field can now find this buzzword used to generate people to sign up and take their courses.  Many are currently advertising myofunctional therapy training.  Not surprisingly this leads to a lot of confusion and misperception for the average individual.  

In actuality, true Certification programs are vastly different from the “certificates of completion” one acquires for completing a single course or series of courses. While legal interpretations of certifications can be defined as either “internal” or “external” the differences between them should be clearly understood by those professionals who sign up for them.  An internal certification is a self-driven; self-created program where the company or agency certifies themselves.  An external Certification is one that is underwritten by an accredited university program or a professional organization (AMA, ADHA, APTA, ASHA).

Universities may be for-profit or non-profit but they must be legally registered, accredited and recognized by the Federal Department of Education. Examples of university-based certification programs: Certified Occupational Therapy (COTA); Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). These universities have an overseeing governing body that routinely accredits the programs to ensure they meet national competency and criteria. The universities offer programs (not just lectures) that include an extensive standardized curriculum and practicum.  They also require both written and clinical examination to assess competency. University certification graduates are generally conferred with an Associate’s Degree and thereafter become eligible for state licensure to practice. Proof of continuing education credits to maintain that licensure is a requirement.  Licensing also defines the scope of practice pertinent to a specified field.  To date there are currently no university accredited programs in the United States that certify graduates in “oral motor therapy,” “oral myofunctional therapy” or confer any degree of “myofunctional therapist” “oromyofunctional therapist” or otherwise.

Over the years, Other 3rd party organizations working with university or educational programs have emerged as “certifying agencies.” However, In 2018 in an AOA class-action lawsuit, the courts found that under the Sherman Anti-Trust bill membership organizations cannot legally tie membership participation certification. The reason being that every member had completed the education, testing, and qualifications to meet certification.  Descriptors, titles, letter cannot be subjectively taken away from those who previously completed the requirements but choose not to maintain membership any longer. (See the link for further details)

Anyone considering pursuit of a “certification” should research their options very carefully and understand what their programs offer.

“Myo therapy” is a term that is being broadly used in social media today. Why?  “Myo” is Latin for “muscle”.  “Functional” describe function.  Together “Myofunctional” describes “muscle function.”  There is, however, a broad difference between therapeutics that focus on muscle function than those that focus on the oral complex system.  Those are references as “oral myofunctional disorders.” 

The treatments within the field oral myofunctional therapy vary broadly, depending on the clinical and educational background of the one providing it. At its core, however, is the tenet of “proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation”. (PNF). PFN intervention has been used for decades and relies upon developing new muscle memory to produced controlled voluntary movement through repetitive action. This repetitive movement builds automatics response and ultimately establishes brain neuroplasticity with unconscious responses.

Professionals who use the descriptor of “myo” or using “my myo program” as a treatment do the field great disservice as not all OMD’s require repetitive regimen “exercises” to correct them.  This same thinking applies to individuals who incorporation “ology” into business names.  Examples could include: like Faceology, Myology, Oromyology, Airwayology. The term “ology” means “the study of…”. Examples include urology, psychology, epidemiology. 

Many practitioners today are choosing to specialize in working with certain age groups.  This is especially true for infant care. Unfortunately, there remain a large number of clinicians whose clinical work experience with infants has been exceedingly limited. Many have been actively recruited to work with infants by other allied professionals or the general public and jump in without recognizing that the anatomy and physiology of babies are vastly different from the populations they have worked with prior.  In recent years, there have been many who have promoted the idea that babies can benefit from myofunctional therapy.  References to “Baby Myo” have surged with the recent flood of infant lingual frenectomies (tongue tie releases) being performed today.  Certain health professionals have attempted to establish routine course of care association with these procedures. 

The reality is that babies have not yet had any time to develop controlled volitional movement and coordination.  Therefore, the principles behind Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitations (especially in the head/neck system) cannot be applied.  We cannot force repetitive movement in individuals who have not yet developed systems to support them.  To clarify even further: infants and toddlers who have not yet acquired the cognitive ability to perform repetitive action movements (even required for PNF, nor had time for primitive reflexes to integrate properly, nor acquired proper feeding and chewing techniques simply cannot benefit from the “repetitive regimens” being offered as “therapies” today.

Infants and toddler who present with signs and symptoms of ankyloglossia, struggle with early feeding, or other developmental struggles should seek out a International Board Certified Lactation Counselor (IBCLC), a licensed speech language pathologist or occupational therapist who is trained in infant feeding. Registered dental hygiensts are not licensed to do early infant feeding 

OMT is an acronym.  The use of acronyms arose with the advent of social media platforms alongside broad expansion of websites, meme’s, gif’s and other media shortcuts.  Acronyms were designed as shortcuts to typing out entire text and should not be confused as post-nominal credentials.  Below are a just a few of the ways the acronym is used today:

• Oral Motor Therapy 

• Oral Myofunctional Therapy 

• Oral Myofunctional Therapist 

• Opioid Maintenance Treatment

• Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy

• One Multipurpose Terminal

• Objective Modeling Technique

• Outcome Measurement Tool

• Operations Maintenance Test

By the same token the acronym MFT also encompasses a broad range of meanings:

• Marriage & Family Therapist 

• Medical Field Technician

• Master of Foreign Trade

• Master Fitness Trainer

• Mission Flight Trainer

• Myofunctional Therapist (unlicensed)

• Myofunctional Therapy 

FunctionFocus Academy trains already licensed therapists in the diagnosis and treatment of oral myofunctional disorders as a scope of practice.  We do not encourage the use of any acronym descriptors that cause consumer confusion. The use of such descriptors often infers a “professional license practice” which does not exist in the United States today.  Rather, we encourage the attendees to delineate their state licensure under which they treat Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders.

An OMD = Orofacial Myology Disorder, or Disorders (plural = OMDs) ar ethe set of disorders that are treated by orofacial myologists.

The difference is in the details. 

Letters that follow names are officially called “post-nominal letters.” They can be earned for a number of accomplishments. Letters can be earned for academic education, accreditation, certification, designation and/or recognition. While the result of placing professional letters after one’s professional signature is the same, the prestigiousness of the accomplishments are often note the same.  In other words, some letters mean more than others.

There are 4 different ways to acquire post-nominal letters. 

1. Academic Education:  While one may acquire a certificate or degree, degrees do not merit post-nominal letters.  While it is acceptable in some professions to delineate advanced degrees such as Master’s of Science or Doctorate, few business professionals use them post-nominally. 
2. Accreditation and Certification: This is a process whereby a 3rd party (private organization, for profit university, or other business entity is acknowledged by a professional education entity (ASHA, ADHA, AGD AMA,) as meeting certain evidence- based qualifications or standards. Most current certification programs do not meet these standards but are privately held entities that self-create certification programs.
3. Designation: Testing is generally not a requirement for earning a designation. Often times a test is not even required.  Though the entity (business) may require continuing education for designee, most do not.  Therefore, while a completion is worthy of letters, a designation is at a lower level than a true accreditation or certification. (Example: Vital Stim Certified)
4. Recognition:  Recognition, though still worthy of post-nominal letters viewed is the least prestigious. Recognition may be earned through specific training or by reaching a professional career milestone that is not often seen by others in the profession.  No testing, experience or continuing education are involved.  (Example: in 2018 Mary Billings was “recognized” as a Subject Matter Expert by ASHA when working on their OMD Practice Portal and again in 2022, when she was “recognized” as an ASHA Lifetime Member.

This course is open to licensed professionals in the field of speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, medical physicians, doctors of dentistry. Photo copy of current state licensure will be required during the registration process.

Click on the Courses & Seminars tab to view course requirements of choice, course locations and dates and register there. You’ll find a full agenda and learning outcomes/syllabus.

On the course page, Make The Connection for example, you will find a full agenda and learning outcomes/syllabus.