Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders: Guidelines for Assessment and Treatment

Summary: The approach to assessment and treatment advocated in this article stresses individualization and completeness. The field of orofacial myology provides many oppor­tunities for budding clinicians to latch onto a particular program of treatment and apply it wholesale to patients of all types and ages. The temptation to do so should be resisted vigorously. The purpose of all procedures should be to help the patient eliminate postural or move­ment patterns that create undesirable pressures against teeth or unfortunate cosmetic results. Since tongue and lip-resting postures have the greatest potential of all patterns for interfering with proper dental development and orthodontic treatment, they should receive early and pervasive attention during treatment. Conceptually, therapy may be divided into three phases: Learning new patterns, incorporating those patterns into everyday activities until they become automatic, and maintaining them. Patients should be seen for rechecks for at least two years, or until all orthodontic work is completed. Treatment for orofacial myofunctional disorders is most successful, when the clinician, child, parents and dental specialist work in close cooperation.