As a parent, you pay close attention to your child’s development. You notice when they reach milestones, when something seems off, and when a habit that started as a quirk begins to look like it might be something more. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy, commonly known as OMT, can support your child’s oral health and facial development. Recognising the signs early can help address concerns and support their long-term wellbeing.
At MS Dental, our teams in Cardiff, Fletcher, and Mayfield support children with orofacial myofunctional disorders. We see firsthand how early intervention can make a meaningful difference. This blog explains the key signs that your child may benefit from OMT and what the therapy involves. It also explains why addressing these concerns early can make a difference.
What Is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?
Before exploring the signs, it helps to understand what OMT involves. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy uses structured exercises and techniques to improve muscle patterns and habits affecting breathing, swallowing, speech, and dental development.
The orofacial muscles include those of the lips, tongue, cheeks, and throat. When these muscles do not work properly due to habits, structural issues, or developmental factors, they can affect several areas of a child’s health. These effects can range from teeth alignment to sleep quality.
According to the International Association of Orofacial Myology, orofacial myofunctional disorders affect a significant proportion of children and are frequently under-recognised in standard healthcare settings. At MS Dental, our trained practitioners across Newcastle offer OMT as part of a comprehensive approach to children’s oral health.
Sign 1 — Your Child Breathes Through Their Mouth
Mouth breathing is one of the most common and significant signs that a child may have an orofacial myofunctional disorder. Occasional mouth breathing during a cold is normal. However, chronic mouth breathing means regularly breathing through the mouth instead of the nose and may indicate an underlying concern.
Nasal breathing filters, humidifies, and warms the air before it reaches the lungs. It also produces nitric oxide, which plays an important role in oxygen absorption and immune function. Mouth breathing bypasses all of these benefits and, over time, can have significant consequences for a child’s facial structure, dental development, and sleep quality.
Children who habitually breathe through their mouths may develop a long face pattern. This can include a narrower jaw, higher palate, and more open bite. They are also at increased risk of dental crowding, gum disease, and sleep disordered breathing.
If your child often keeps their mouth open at rest, snores, wakes with a dry mouth, or has chapped lips, consider these signs worth investigating.
Sign 2 — Your Child Has a Tongue Thrust Swallow
A tongue thrust swallow occurs when a child pushes their tongue against or between their teeth when swallowing. Instead, the tongue should rest against the roof of the mouth during swallowing.
The average person swallows between 500 and 1000 times per day. When every one of those swallows involves the tongue pushing against the front teeth, the cumulative force on the dental arch is significant. Over time, this can cause the front teeth to flare forward, create an open bite, or interfere with the normal development of the jaw.
Tongue thrust is a normal pattern in infants but should naturally transition to a mature swallow pattern by around age four. If your child is older than this and still exhibits tongue thrust, an assessment by our team at MS Dental in Cardiff, Fletcher, or Mayfield is worthwhile.
Sign 3 — Your Child Sucks Their Thumb or Uses a Dummy Beyond Age Three
Non-nutritive sucking habits such as thumb sucking or dummy use are completely normal in infants and toddlers. However, when these habits continue beyond age three, they can affect the shape of the dental arches, tooth position, and tongue posture.
Children who suck their thumb for extended periods often develop a high narrow palate, an open bite, and a forward tongue posture. These structural changes can then perpetuate incorrect muscle function even after the habit has stopped.
If your child still sucks their thumb or uses a dummy after age three, address the habit early. Assessing its impact on their oral development can also help identify any concerns.
Sign 4 — Your Child Has Crooked or Crowded Teeth
Genetics can influence tooth alignment, but incorrect muscle function may also contribute to dental crowding and malocclusion in children. When the tongue does not rest correctly against the palate, it fails to provide the outward pressure needed to shape the dental arch properly as the child grows.
The result is often a narrower than normal palate, which leaves insufficient space for the permanent teeth to come through correctly. This leads to crowding, overlapping, and the need for orthodontic intervention.
At MS Dental, our team takes a whole-body approach to children’s dental development. Rather than simply treating crowding, we aim to identify and address the underlying causes. These may include incorrect muscle function that contributes to the problem. This is often where OMT works alongside our Myobrace treatment to deliver more comprehensive and lasting outcomes.
Sign 5 — Your Child Snores or Has Disturbed Sleep
Snoring in children is not normal and should not be dismissed as simply a quirky habit. Habitual snoring can indicate sleep disordered breathing. This can range from primary snoring to obstructive sleep apnoea.
Children with orofacial myofunctional disorders may have a higher risk of sleep disordered breathing. Incorrect muscle function can contribute to structural and functional changes that affect breathing. A narrow palate, low tongue posture, and mouth breathing all contribute to a reduced airway diameter, which increases the likelihood of airway obstruction during sleep.
The consequences of poor sleep in children are significant and well documented. According to the Australian Sleep Association, sleep disordered breathing in children is associated with behavioural problems, learning difficulties, poor concentration, mood disturbances, and impaired growth.
If your child snores regularly, wakes frequently during the night, is tired during the day despite getting sufficient hours of sleep, or has been flagged by their teacher for inattention or behavioural issues, sleep disordered breathing is worth investigating.
Sign 6 — Your Child Has Speech Difficulties
The muscles of the tongue, lips, and cheeks play a central role in speech production. When these muscles function incorrectly, it can affect the clarity and accuracy of certain sounds.
Children with orofacial myofunctional disorders may have difficulty with sounds that require precise tongue placement, such as S, Z, SH, CH, J, L, R, T, D, and N. They may lisp, substitute sounds, or struggle to be understood clearly.
While speech therapy addresses the articulation of sounds directly, OMT works on the underlying muscle function that supports correct speech production. The two therapies are highly complementary and are often recommended in combination for children with both speech and myofunctional concerns.
Sign 7 — Your Child Has a Low Tongue Posture at Rest
Correct tongue posture at rest involves the entire tongue resting gently against the roof of the mouth, with the tip just behind the upper front teeth. This position provides the lateral pressure needed to shape the upper arch correctly as the child grows.
A low tongue posture occurs when the tongue rests on the floor of the mouth or behind the lower teeth. This can contribute to a narrow upper arch, dental crowding, and open bite development.
Low tongue posture can be difficult for parents to notice directly. However, it often occurs alongside visible signs such as mouth breathing, an open mouth at rest, and forward head posture.
Sign 8 — Your Child Has Poor Lip Seal at Rest
A normal lip seal at rest means the lips are gently closed without effort or strain. Children with orofacial myofunctional disorders often have an incompetent lip seal, meaning their lips are frequently apart at rest without the child being aware of it.
This is closely linked to mouth breathing and low tongue posture. When the tongue is not resting against the palate and the child is breathing through the mouth, the lips naturally fall apart. Over time, the muscles of the lips can become weak and hypotonic, making it even more difficult to maintain a seal.
Signs of poor lip seal include lips that are frequently apart at rest, mentalis muscle strain (dimpling or bunching of the chin) when the child tries to close their lips, and dry or chapped lips.
What Happens at an OMT Assessment at MS Dental?
If you have noticed one or more of the signs described above in your child, the next step is an assessment. At MS Dental, our practitioners in Cardiff, Fletcher, and Mayfield conduct a comprehensive orofacial myofunctional assessment. They assess breathing patterns, tongue posture and function, swallowing, lip posture and muscle tone, and habits such as thumb sucking or dummy use.
Based on the findings, a personalised OMT program is developed. Treatment typically involves targeted exercises that children practise at home each day. Regular review appointments help monitor progress and adjust the program as their muscle function improves.
OMT is most effective in children aged 4 and above, though assessment can begin earlier when concerns are identified. Identifying and addressing myofunctional issues early may help support healthy facial development, dental alignment, and airway function.
Book an Assessment at MS Dental Today
If you have recognised any of the signs described in this blog in your child, we encourage you to book an assessment with our team at MS Dental. Our practitioners in Cardiff, Fletcher, and Mayfield support children of all ages with orofacial myofunctional disorders. They take a thorough and collaborative approach to each child’s care.
For further information on orofacial myofunctional therapy and its evidence base, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association provides a comprehensive overview of the research underpinning this area of practice.
You can also read more about our related treatments including Myobrace, Tongue and Lip-Tie Removal, and Laser Dental Treatments on our website.
New patients are always welcome across all three of our Newcastle clinics.
📅 Book your child’s assessment today:
🌐 www.msdental.com.au
📞 Cardiff: (02) 4954 7722 | Fletcher: (02) 4953 8614 | Mayfield: (02) 4023 3885
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