09/15/2025
This 10 year - 4 month old female presented with an Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder (OMD) characterized by a deleterious tongue sucking habit, a chronic open mouth posture, a recessive cut-off chin, a hyperactive mentalis muscle as well as a bilateral dental openbite.
Since nasal airway issues are the Primary Cause of OMDs, all patients are referred to both an ENT and Allergist on her team who understands OMDs before any Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is initiated because this clinician never wants to get caught up in treating the EFFECT and ignoring the CAUSE and the Cause of OMDs is nasal airway interference.
This patient needed an Adenoidectomy and had low level allergies to Mesquite tree pollen. Once she was able to achieve a patent nasal airway following the Adenoidectomy and control of her allergies, she was enrolled in a mini-orofacial myofunctional therapy program known as the HONOR SYSTEM MYO Lip Competence Therapy program which was created by Dr. Honor Franklin of Honor Franklin Myofunctional & Speech Clinic based on her almost 5 decades experience of specializing in OMDs which consists of practicing only TWO exercises ONCE a day using ONE therapy tool, the Lip Exerciser-ZLE and patient is not seen twice a week or once a week but is seen at longer intervals (3-4 weeks later) which is more economical for the family -- and IT WORKS! And NO tongue therapy, NO swallowing therapy and NO busy work.
In 12 visits over 16 months, she eliminated the deleterious tongue sucking habit, her dental occlusion improved and notice the spontaneous improvement in her overall facial appearance including the lips and chin especially the recessive cut-off chin in the before profile photo compared to the after profile photo.
NOTE: OMT never takes the place of orthodontics.
I LOVE WHAT I DO! I cannot thank Dr. Jeff Johnson of Woodhill Dental Specialties for referring this patient to me. I love working with Dr. Johnson and his staff.
