When it comes to oromyofunctional disorders (OMDs), no two cases are exactly alike. These conditions can affect everything from how you chew and swallow to how you speak, breathe, and even sleep. At BreatheWorks, our whole-patient approach means we go beyond the surface to identify the specific types of OMDs and their far-reaching impacts—on both children and adults.
What Are the Most Common Types of Oromyofunctional Disorders?
1. Mouth Breathing
- Definition: Chronic breathing through the mouth rather than the nose, especially at rest or during sleep.
- Signs: Open-mouth posture, dry mouth, bad breath, snoring, frequent sore throats, chapped lips, visible “long face” growth in children.
- Health Impact:
- Mouth breathing bypasses the nose’s natural filtration, humidification, and warming of air.
- Increases risk for dental cavities, gum disease, and upper airway inflammation.
- Strongly linked to sleep-disordered breathing and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) (Guilleminault et al., 2016).
- Affects energy, attention, and growth in children.
- Mouth breathing bypasses the nose’s natural filtration, humidification, and warming of air.
2. Tongue Thrust
- Definition: The tongue pushes forward against or between the teeth during swallowing, speaking, or even at rest.
- Signs: Lisping speech, open bite or flared teeth, need for repeat orthodontic work, difficulty with certain food textures.
- Health Impact:
- Constant tongue pressure can move teeth, destabilize orthodontic results, and alter bite alignment.
- Linked to speech disorders and ongoing dental/facial growth changes if untreated.
- Constant tongue pressure can move teeth, destabilize orthodontic results, and alter bite alignment.
3. Low Tongue Posture
- Definition: The tongue rests low in the mouth rather than against the palate.
- Signs: Visible gap between tongue and palate, narrow or vaulted palate, crowded teeth, mouth breathing, chronic nasal congestion.
- Health Impact:
- Limits upper jaw growth and palate width, contributing to airway narrowing.
- Associated with mouth breathing, snoring, and higher risk for OSA and TMJ pain (Vig & Fields, 1981).
- Hinders clear speech and efficient chewing.
- Limits upper jaw growth and palate width, contributing to airway narrowing.
4. Improper Swallow Patterns (Dysfunctional Swallow)
- Definition: Abnormal swallow mechanics, such as reverse swallow or excessive use of facial/neck muscles.
- Signs: Facial grimacing during swallowing, lip puckering, visible effort or tension in the chin/neck, choking or coughing on certain foods.
- Health Impact:
- Increases risk of jaw pain, muscle fatigue, and TMJ dysfunction.
- Can cause misalignment of teeth, inefficient digestion, and even contribute to feeding difficulties and picky eating.
- Increases risk of jaw pain, muscle fatigue, and TMJ dysfunction.
5. Other Orofacial Habits
- Thumb or finger sucking
- Prolonged pacifier use
- Nail or object biting
- Cheek or lip biting
- Clenching or grinding teeth (bruxism)
These habits reinforce OMDs by disrupting tongue, jaw, and facial muscle balance.
How Do These Disorders Affect the Whole Body?
OMDs don’t just stay in the mouth—they can ripple throughout the body and life:
- Dental and orthodontic issues: 25% of orthodontic relapses are linked to untreated OMDs.
- TMJ dysfunction: Abnormal tongue and jaw use stresses the temporomandibular joint dysfunction, causing pain, headaches, and jaw locking.
- Sleep and airway health: Mouth breathing and low tongue posture narrow the airway, raising risk for snoring and sleep apnea.
- Speech and communication: Many speech sound errors (like lisps) and unclear articulation are rooted in OMDs.
- Posture and muscle tension: Dysfunctional oral habits can contribute to forward head posture, neck and back pain, and even poor athletic performance.
- Feeding and nutrition: Difficulty chewing and swallowing leads to limited diet variety, picky eating, and sometimes poor weight gain in children.
Who Is at Risk?
- Children with chronic allergies, large tonsils/adenoids, or a history of bottle/pacifier use
- Adults with persistent mouth breathing, snoring, TMJ pain, or orthodontic relapse
- Anyone with speech or feeding challenges not explained by other conditions
Signs and Symptoms Checklist
Are you or your child experiencing any of these?
- Mouth always open, especially at rest
- Frequent snoring or noisy breathing
- Lisp or difficulty saying certain sounds
- Multiple rounds of braces or dental work
- Jaw clicking, popping, or pain
- Frequent headaches or neck tension
- Difficulty chewing or picky eating
- Choking or coughing on food/liquids
If so, a comprehensive myofunctional evaluation could be the first step toward lasting relief.
How BreatheWorks Can Help
Our team at BreatheWorks specializes in identifying all types of oromyofunctional disorders—often catching subtle signs missed elsewhere. We offer:
- Whole-patient evaluations for breathing, chewing, swallowing, speech, and facial development
- Individualized myofunctional therapy to retrain the muscles and restore healthy function
- Collaboration with your dental, orthodontic, and medical team for truly integrated care
- Support at every age—from early childhood through adulthood
Ready to address the root cause of your symptoms? Contact BreatheWorks for a comprehensive oromyofunctional assessment, and let’s take the first step toward healthier breathing, eating, sleeping, and living—together.
