OMD: A Root Cause for Sleep Issues in Adulthood

Is it ever too late to correct orofacial myofunctional disorders?

Just because your orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMD) weren’t treated in childhood doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat them now. While it is sometimes easier to treat OMD during childhood, there are significant benefits for adults to treat their OMD. As a healthcare professional, I am a firm believer that it is never too late to improve your health. As someone with a tongue tie that went undiagnosed until I was 40 years old, I can attest to the chronic symptoms and issues that can develop as a result OMD, and also the life-changing benefits of correctly diagnosing and treating them. 

*If you want to read more about my story, I talk about it here.

For someone with OMD, there are usually symptoms during childhood; but these symptoms may be written off unless the child has failure to thrive or severe eating issues that require medical attention. For many children early symptoms may present rather mildly, and over time the child learns to compensate in order to survive. Often the parents explain it as “just a phase” or “that’s just the way he/she is”. Many adults I talk to who have previously undiagnosed tongue ties or OMD tell similar stories of childhood symptoms that weren’t addressed or didn’t seem to be a concern at the time, and also of more symptoms cropping up as they entered adulthood. Many of these adults share stories of being gaslighted by their medical doctors, or being told that what they were experiencing was normal, when in reality these practitioners weren’t educated or aware of the possible long term effects of OMD.

One of the main reasons to treat OMD in adulthood is sleep. Restorative sleep is essential for life long health, and the fact is that adults with OMD are more likely to have sleep disordered breathing. What may start out as mouth breathing or snoring can progress into upper airway resistance syndrome or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which can have devastating effects on your health. While anyone of any age can be diagnosed with OSA, it is more common in adulthood. 

Common signs and symptoms of sleep breathing disorders are: 

• Mouth breathing

• Snoring

• Insomnia

• Fatigue/Daytime tiredness

• Clenching/grinding (TMJ issues)

• Headaches

• Irritability

• Anxiety & Depression

The good news is there are many treatments for sleep breathing disorders. The most well-known and proven method is a CPAP, a positive air pressure device that keeps the airway open during sleep, and there are other options now such as mandibular advancement or repositioning device (MAD or MRD), surgery, or nerve stimulation devices. Unfortunately, some of these options do not address the underlying root cause of the OSA. If a patient with OSA has a tongue tie, low tongue tone (weak tongue muscles), or low tone of the soft palate, some of these options may not work. This is where orofacial myofunctional therapy comes in; by addressing the muscular and functional issues, we address the root cause. 

Orofacial myofunctional therapy has been proven to reduce AHI (the apnea-hypopnea index used to grade the severity of OSA) by 50% in adults, so for individuals who are unwilling or unable to use a CPAP this can reduce the severity of their OSA significantly. When combined with lifestyle changes such as weight loss, addressing allergies, quitting smoking, changing sleep positions, and implementing good sleep hygiene, the effects can be life-changing!

If you suspect a sleep breathing disorder or an OMD, schedule a consultation with an orofacial myofunctional therapist for evaluation. If we can improve your oral function we may be able to improve your sleep!

It’s never too late; the age you are now is the perfect age to start! 

For more information on sleep, I recommend these books: The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox and Why We Sleep