Orofacial Myology for Children

Helping little mouths build strong foundations for breathing, eating, sleeping, and speech.

At Wonder Words, our orofacial myology support focuses on how the lips, tongue, cheeks, and jaw rest, move, and work together in everyday life - like nasal breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speech clarity. Orofacial myofunctional therapy is commonly described as an interdisciplinary approach targeting these patterns and functions.

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What is orofacial myology?

Orofacial myology looks at the “muscle patterns” of the mouth and face - especially the tongue and lip posture at rest, and how the mouth functions during breathing, eating/drinking, and speaking. Many clinics describe this work as supporting the muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks and face and their related functions (breathing, chewing, swallowing and aspects of speech).

When these patterns aren’t working efficiently (for example: habitual mouth breathing, a tongue thrust swallow, or low tongue resting posture), it can impact things like dentofacial development, oral habits, speech sounds, feeding skills, and sleep quality.

Signs your child might benefit.

Your child may benefit from an assessment if you’ve noticed any of the following:

  • Mouth breathing (especially at rest)

  • Lips often open / difficulty maintaining lip seal

  • Tongue thrust (tongue pushing forward during swallow or speech)

  • Ongoing thumb/finger sucking or extended dummy/pacifier use

  • Drooling beyond what you’d expect

  • Chewing difficulties, messy eating, slow eating

  • Swallowing concerns (e.g., pushing food with the tongue, gagging, unusual swallow pattern)

  • Speech concerns that may relate to tongue placement (e.g., frontal / “lisp-like” productions)

  • Dentist/orthodontist recommendation for myofunctional support

  • Tongue-tie or lip-tie questions; support pre/post release

How We Help

At Wonder Words our approach is practical, child-friendly, and always tailored to your child. Depending on your child’s needs, we may support:

  • 👃 Nasal Breathing

    Supporting comfortable nasal breathing and healthy mouth rest posture.

  • 👅 Healthy Tongue Habits

    Improving tongue resting position and swallow patterns.

  • 🍼 Reducing Oral Habits

    Supporting reduction of thumb sucking and dummy use.

  • 🍎 Chewing & Coordination

    Building efficient chewing skills and oral strength.

  • 💧 Drooling Support

    Reducing drooling related to oral posture or function.

  • 🗣 Speech Clarity

    Improving speech clarity when tongue placement is contributing.

  • 🎀 Tongue-Tie Support

    Providing pre- and post-release therapy and functional guidance.

  • 🤝 Collaborative Care

    Working alongside GPs, ENTs, dentists, orthodontists and other professionals.

What to expect: Assessment + Therapy

  • We’ll look at oral rest posture, breathing patterns, oral habits, tongue mobility and coordination, chewing/swallowing patterns, and how these may relate to your child’s functional goals (and speech/feeding goals where relevant).

  • If we suspect airway factors or structural contributors, we’ll talk you through referral options (e.g., ENT) and provide you with referral letters. 

    You’ll receive a personalised plan with the next steps.

  • Orofacial myology programs commonly involve daily practice to build new patterns. We’ll keep this realistic for families (short, achievable, and built into routines).

FAQs

  • They’re often used interchangeably. Both typically focus on retraining the muscles of the mouth and face for functions like breathing, chewing, swallowing and speech.

  • We can assess function and help you understand whether a referral to a medical/dental provider might be helpful. Many clinics also provide pre- and post-support to optimise outcomes around a release. We do not perform surgical releases.

  • It depends on your child’s goals, age, and the patterns we’re changing. We’ll outline a recommended starting plan after assessment. Consistent home practice helps progress.

  • Yes, and we’ll recommend collaboration with recommended providers when it’s relevant (for example, if airway obstruction is suspected or there are dental/orthodontic factors to consider).

  • Sometimes. If tongue posture and placement are contributing to speech errors (for example, tongue protrusion affecting “s/z”), improving function and placement can be part of a broader plan.

Next Steps

If you’ve noticed concerns with breathing, chewing, oral habits or tongue posture, an assessment can help clarify what’s happening and what to do next.

We’re here to support you.

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