A new strategy for Prevention to help the newborns

Over the last few years I have been seeing some terminology start picking up in some the health literature I was reading, Orofacial Myofunctional therapy. In addition, at some of the hygiene meetings I have attended, like CareerFusion, a few of the hygienist’s said that they were oral mycologists. I also have noticed that there have been some continuing ed classes on the subject so I went ahead and said why not and this past Friday I took the intro course Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy as taught by two of the leaders in the field in the United States, Joy Moeller and Licia Coceani-Paskay.

What a treat to actually be introduced to a science that has so much research behind it around the world and is starting to gain more traction in the United States. What is the purpose of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy? In a nutshell the ability to chew, breath and swallow is very important to learn at the earliest of ages (even for newborns) since form will follow function. If an infant or child does not function ideally it might influence the development of the jaws, the way teeth meet which influence orthodontic issues. In addition, if the muscles of the oral cavity do not function together it can influence breathing and lead to postural issues and sleep apnea. Lastly, the therapists involved in this discipline can help work with children and adults to eliminate some behavior patterns like thumb sucking and nail biting which can also affect the bite and development of the mouth.

So why do I say prevention for newborns. I learned how important it is too make sure that your child is not tongue tied, that is, that the tongue has enough range of movement to allow normal nursing. It is very clear to those in the field of Orofacial My ofunctional therapy that nursing is an important aspect to the normal development of the mouth and oral  habits. It also trains the tongue to go to the roof of the mouth which is where the tongue needs to be. How important is this?….well the state of New Jersey has just passed a bill making it mandatory to evaluate all newborns to see if they are tongue tied before they are released from the hospital. If the tongue is indeed tied it is a very easy procedure to release it so it can have a normal range of motion. Nobody wants to think that a new born would need any type of minor procedure, but the benefits are so great…I call it preventive. The associated costs of correcting the problems of being tongue tied are much higher after the fact than the initial preventive procedure.

Some of the other Orofacial Myofuction Disorders are parafunctional habits, lack of a lip seal, low tongue rest position, disorders of chewing and atypical swallowing to name a few. Some of the problems associated with incorrect oral muscle patterns include a high narrow palate, grinding and clenching, forward head and neck posture and speech problems.

I want to thank Joy and Licia again for giving the opportunity to learn a little about what they and others like them have to offer. I am excited that I have found another area that I can learn about and just maybe help someone with down the road to help improve their health.


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