Do you know about OMDs?
Orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs) can negatively affect the muscles (myo) of the mouth (oro) and face (facial) and cause atypical muscle movement patterns. As the muscles of the face and mouth are connected, these negative patterns can, in turn, affect how you eat, breathe and talk.
Some studies indicate that nearly 40 percent of the general population and more than 81 percent of children have experienced speech and/or articulation problems caused by OMDs. Many of those affected by OMDs can experience severe consequences, including facial and skeletal growth and development issues, bite alignment problems, stress on the jaw joints, the development of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), unbalanced facial appearance and the development of sleep breathing disorders such as sleep apnea.
OMDs can also negatively impact your oral hygiene and cause past and future orthodontic treatments to become unstable.