Read through the following questions regarding a few signs and symptoms that can be associated with an orofacial myofunctional disorder. 

If you answer “yes” to several of these questions, you may want to make an appointment for a consult. Please contact me for further information.

• Do you have a tongue thrust swallow? (i.e., Does your tongue come forward and either push against or stick out between your teeth when you swallow?)

• Does your tongue rest against or between your teeth?

• Do you have an open mouth rest posture? (i.e., Whenever you are not eating, drinking, or talking, is your mouth resting in an open position?)

• Do you have malocclusion? (i.e., Do you have a “poor bite” or any dental misalignment such as teeth that are crooked, crowded, or protruding?)

• Have your teeth moved after orthodontic treatment? (This is also known as “orthodontic relapse”, which occurs when teeth move again after a straightening treatment, such as braces, has been completed.)

• Do you have frequent headaches?

• Do you suffer from migraines?

• Do you have frequent jaw or neck pain?

• Do you chew your food with your mouth open?

• Do you habitually breathe through your mouth?

• Do you have a forward head posture?

• Do you drool or have bloating or stomach distress after eating?

• Do you suffer from allergies or asthma?

• Do you have any oral habits? (e.g., fingernail biting, thumb sucking, lip sucking or chewing, or chewing on items such as pens?)

• Do you have persistent speech sound errors? For example:

  • Do you produce the /s/ sound with a frontal lisp as in “thun” for “sun”?

  • Do you distort the SH (“ship”), CH (“chew”), or J (“jump”) sounds?

  • Do you have “slushy” sounding speech?

  • Do you have difficulty with the correct production of /l/ or /r/ sounds as in “wion” for “lion” or “wabbit” for “rabbit”?

You can learn more about these signs and symptoms, along with additional information and research on orofacial myofunctional disorder in the RESEARCH and SIGNS & SYMPTOMS sections.