You may be referred to an SLP for OMT by your dentist or orthodontist if they feel you are suffering from an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD) or tongue thrust that is effecting your dental development. OMT is most successful when a ‘multidisciplinary approach’ is taken. SLPs are experts in the muscles involved in speech and swallowing, and therefor are qualified to treat OMDs. Strathcona Speech clinicians have advanced training in Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy.

This will depend on your specific insurance plan, but most do not offer specific coverage for myofunctional therapy. HOWEVER, as all of our clinicians are Registered Speech-Language Pathologists, myofunctional therapy sessions are covered under “speech therapy”. This is another benefit of doing myofunctional therapy with an SLP!

The total cast will vary person to person and depends on a few variables, such as: the age of the client, how long it takes the client to acquire all necessary skills, and working with SLP or SLPA. For children under the age of 9, they will likely do our “tiny tongues” program which is much shorter than the full treatment program.

Our full treatment programs generally take 8-14 sessions, so you can expect a full program to range from $720 to $1,500. We also offer some alternative therapy options for those looking to reduce the overall cost. We charge per session and are able to provide direct billing for some major insurance companies.

Parental involvement and encouragement are important and necessary to successful completion of this program. Due to the nature of therapy. a practice partner is required. Parents will not necessarily be required to attend every full therapy session, but they must be available to learn the new exercises and how to support their child with the practice each week.

Your clinician will give you specific instructions for each exercise, but generally it is recommended that you practice 3 times per day, for 10-15 minutes each time.

With Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy we are working with neuroplasticity: the ability of neural networks in the brain to change through growth and reorganization. This takes time and repetition to happen, which is why consistent and frequent home practice is so important. You will hear your clinician refer to “frequency” and “duration” a lot during your treatment program, as these are key factors in success of OMT.

Good question! Our OMT treatment framework is very effective with good and consistent home practice. It must be noted that successful completion of this program is dependent upon patient desire, good attitude, and self-motivation. Parental involvement and encouragement are important and necessary.

Only the dedicated participation and cooperation of the patient can guarantee correct resting posture and swallowing pattern results.

A tongue tie, or ‘lingual frenulum’ refers to a small piece of tissue at the bottom of the tongue that normally disappears during fetal development. Tongue ties commonly restrict the movement of the tongue, and can result in the tongue having a habitual resting posture on the floor of the mouth. Tongue ties can also cause problems with articulation (‘L’ and ‘R’ especially), chewing, sucking and swallowing. If a Tongue Tie release is recommended by a dental professional, you will likely need OMT as well. It is often recommended to being an OMT program prior to the surgery, and with a clinician who has advanced training in tongue tie releases.