A primary goal of orofacial myofunctional therapy is to recapture a normal freeway space dimension by eliminating deleterious sucking habits, re-positioning a forward, interdental resting tongue posture, teaching a closed lips nasal breathing posture, retraining and eliminating an inorrect chewing pattern and swallow, or normalizing and opening a closed dental rest posture.
Myofunctional disorders involve behaviors and patterns created by inappropriate muscle function and incorrect habits involving the tongue, lips, face and jaw. During rest, an incorrect positioning of the tongue may contribute to improper orofacial development, misalignment of the teeth and articulation disorders.
It is often difficult to identify a particular source of an oromyofunctional disorder (OMD). In most cases it is the result of a combination of factors: that is OMD's involve a myriad of causes and contributing factors.