What is orofacial myology?

"Orofacial Myology is a specialized oral discipline that evaluates and treats a variety of oral and facial (orofacial) muscle (myo-) postural and functional disorders and habit patterns that may disrupt normal dental development and also create cosmetic problems." - IAOM

What can an orofacial myofunctional disorder cause?

• Crooked teeth or orthodontic relapse

• Headaches

• TMJ (jaw joint) pain

• Forward head posture

• Digestive disorders such as acid reflux or stomach aches from air swallowing

• Sleep and breathing disorders

• Oral lesion from tongue irritation

• Gum disease

• Psychological problems

• Failure to thrive and other child development problems

• Middle ear drainage issues

• Grinding or clenching of the teeth

• Drooling

• Habits, such as nail-biting, thumb-sucking, hair chewing, lip or cheek biting

What is a tongue tie?

• Ankyloglossia/tongue tie: A congenital formation of the lingual frenulum that restricts range of motion of the tongue contributing to functional deficits


• Ankylolabia/lip tie: A congenital formation of the labial frenulum that restricts range of motion of the lips contributing to functional deficits


• Buccal/cheek tie: A congenital formation of the buccal frenulum that restricts range of motion of the cheeks contributing to functional deficits

Why myofunctional therapy?

Correcting oral motor dysfunction through therapy can help:
- Stabilize current dental and orthodontic treatments
- Improve articulation and speech intelligibility
- Increase awareness of tongue, lip, and jaw posture
- Establish normal swallow patters
- Maintain optimum oral health for a lifetime of benefits

How do I know if my child has a feeding disorder?

Your child may have a feeding or swallowing problem if they:



• arch their back or stiffen when feeding


• cry or fuss when feeding


• fall asleep when feeding


• have problems breastfeeding
/bottlefeeding

• have trouble breathing while eating and drinking


• refuse to eat or drink


• eat only certain textures, such as soft food or crunchy food


• take a long time to eat


• pocket (which means to hold food in their mouth)


• have problems chewing


• cough or gag during meals


• drool a lot or have liquid come out of their mouth or nose


• get stuffy during meals


• have a gurgly, hoarse, or breathy voice during or after meals


• spit up or throw up a lot


• are not gaining weight or growing


  (Reference: https://www.asha.org/public/speech/swallowing/feeding-and-swallowing-disorders-in-children/#signs)

What populations do you serve?

Functional Foundations serves all populations who would benefit from myofunctional therapy/feeding therapy; this serves the lifespan.

What is a comprehensive evaluation?

All evaluations are comprehensive and information gathering occurs prior to services. Please complete all intake paperwork and submit prior to arrival for evaluation. During evaluation, pictures/videos will be taken for information gathering purposes. Serving only TN.

*If you reside outside of TN, I still want to help you! Please fill out the contact form so we can set up a consultation to find you the local services you need.

Do you do virtual therapy?

I sure do! You will receive a link through the patient portal to connect to a HIPPA compliant video conference (similar to Zoom and Google Meet).

What can I do to get started?

Please go to the contact page and inquire there, or send an email to thefunctionalfoundations@gmail.com