Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders: Assessment, Prevention and Treatment

Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders (OMDs) are disorders pertaining to the face and mouth and may affect, directly and indirectly, chewing¹, swallowing^{2, 3} speech^{4, 5, 6} occlusion^{7, 8, 9, 10} temporomandibular joint movement^{11, 12} oral hygiene^{13, 14} stability of orthodontic treatment^{15, 16, 8, 17} facial esthetics^{18, 9} and facial skeletal growth^{19, 20}. Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders may have an impact on treatment by orthodontists, dentists, dental hygienists, speech-language pathologists and other professionals working in the same anatomical and physiological area.

Most OMDs can be easily assessed by dentists and orthodontists and, in many cases, they can be prevented, especially in young children with deciduous dentition still in place, thus promoting a more harmonious growth of the orofacial complex. When OMDs are identified in older children, teenagers and adults, a multidisciplinary approach of their treatment would ensure the best care results, by involving the orthodontist, the orofacial myologist, the dental hygienist and other professionals such as ear-nose-throat specialists, allergists and osteopathic physicians to name a few.