Across the lifespan, we see a wide variety of symptoms that can be warning signs of myofunctional disorder. Below are six of the most common signs we see in our patients.
- Poor sleep/Snoring. Tossing and turning, frequent wakings, snoring, and waking up tired no matter how long you sleep can all be warning signs of myofuncitonal dysfunction.
- Prolonged and/or Relapsed Orthodontia. Braces multiple times? Teeth moving back once your braces have come off? Braces taking longer than your provider thought it should? These are all signs that there is a root cause that isn’t being addressed by orthodontic intervention alone.
- TMJ Dysfunction or Pain. Morning Headaches, jaw pain/popping and clicking, shoulder and neck tension – all of these can point to underlying issues related to an OMD.
- Oral Habits. Whether it’s thumb sucking, nail biting, hair chewing, cheek sucking or something else – oral habits negatively impact tongue resting posture and orofacial development and can be a leading contributor to myofunctional disorder.
- Cavities and Bad Breath. You floss, you brush, you limit consumption of sugar and simple carbs, you never skip a cleaning and yet somehow you are STILL getting cavities? Guess what – mouth breathing (which is a common symptom of an OMD) may be the culprit. It may also be the cause of halitosis (bad breath).
- Mouth Breathing. As we just mentioned, mouth breathing is one of the most common symptoms (and causative factors) of myofunctional disorder. Over time, frequent mouth breathing changes the shape of our jaws and can contribute to enlarged tonsils and adenoids, high/narrow palates, crowded teeth and more.
Notice any of these warning signs?
Contact us today to learn more about orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT). It is never too late to start addressing these issues.
