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The overall goals of orofacial myofunctional therapy are to assist in the creation, the restoration and the maintenance of a normal and harmonious orofacial muscle environment.
The Orofacial Myologist is trained to evaluate and treat patients with a variety of oral and facial muscle dysfunctions.
Certified Orofacial Myologists (COM) or Orofacial Myologists in the process of becoming certified may also have additional training in speech/language pathology, dental hygiene or other health related fields that the IAOM has determined to be within the scope of practice of Orofacial Myology.
The practice of orofacial myology includes the evaluation and treatment of the following:
- Abnormal non-nutritive sucking hapits (thumb, finger, pacifier etc)
- Other detrimental orofacial habits
- Abnormal orofacial rest posture problems
- Abnormal neuromuscular muscle patterns associated with inappropriate mastication, bolus formation, and deglutition
- Abnormal functional breathing patterns
- Abnormal swallowing patterns
- Abnormal speech patterns (only if the COM has the speech-language pathology credentials required by his/her State, Province or Country)