Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

f HT page 1C, THERAPY About the author S t e p h a - nie Wall has been a den- tal hygienist for more than 25 years. She owns her own business, Cra- nioral Health Solution, where she practices orofacial myology and craniosa- cral therapy. In her spare time, she is a writer for www.dentinal tubules.com and other dental and dental hygiene publications. Wall is also a four-time attendee of CareerFusion, man- ages the organization’s newslet- ter and blog site and is available for speaking engagements. You may contact her at walls879@aol.com. treatment alters enough of the pat- terns so that new behaviors can be learned. Sometimes the changes of the oral environment by an ortho- dontist may bring improved oral functioning. However, orofacial myofunction- al therapy may be necessary when there are indications that dental treatment or orthodontic interven- tion alone may not bring about the desired changes in oral behaviors. Adverse oral behaviors can often interfere with dental or orthodontic treatment and the stability and con- dition of the mouth. Orofacial myofunctional therapy is a structured, individualized treat- ment for retraining and restoring normal oral functioning. It seeks to inhibit incorrect muscle move- ments and develop normal, easy functions of oral rest posture, oral stage of swallowing and speech articulation. Therapy may include any or all of the following: • elimination of damaging oral habits, • reduction of unnecessary ten- sion and pressure in the muscles of the face and mouth, • strengthening of muscles that do not adequately support normal functioning, • development of normal resting postures of the tongue, lips, jaw and facial muscles, • establishment of normal biting, chewing and swallowing pat- terns. The length and timing of therapy depends on the severity and nature of the disorder. In most cases, ther- apy is a short-term process with the active stage of treatment lasting about three to six months. Fol- low-up visits may be required with decreasing frequency over a period of six to 12 months. Orofacial myofunctional thera- pists have received specialized training to evaluate and treat a vari- ety of orofacial disorders. Many cli- nicians have additional professional training in the areas of speech lan- guage pathology, dental hygiene, dentistry or another health-related field. Most are members of the International Association of Orofa- cial Myology (IAOM). The IAOM regulates how oro- facial myology is practiced, how the course material is constructed and delivered, and monitors the certification process that assigns the credential of Certified Orofacial Myologist (COM). Certification is not required in order to practice, however, it is highly recommended. To learn more about the IAOM and the profession of orofacial mycology, please visit www.iaom. com. HT HYGIENE TRIBUNE | May 2011 Clinical 3C AD Have you read an ePaper yet? www.dental-tribune.com You can access the most recent edition of Dental Tribune, Cosmetic Tribune, Hygiene Tribune, Implant Tribune and Ortho Tribune as an ePaper. In addition, regular online content includes dental news, politics, business and events, as well as clinical content from all the dental specialities. Do you speak a language other than English? If so, you can also access foreign language ePapers of all our international editions (Croatian, Bulgarian, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish and more!). Drop in for a “read” anytime!