Are you thinking of making myofunctional therapy a part of your skillset but you are unsure of the market?
Wonder if you’ll be able to fill your books?
Let’s chat a little about oral motor dysfunction (OMD) and the prevalence today. This may assuage you that yes, Myofunctional therapy is indeed a highly needed specialty in today’s world!
Let’s look at some stats to help you make this decision.
Tongue thrusting, which means the tongue is protruding between the teeth during the swallow, affects between 33%-50.5% of the population (Wadsworth, et al. 1998)
Children with articulation disorders (looking at you, SLP’s!) are 55.3% more likely to exhibit a tongue thrust with a swallow
Children with malocclusion who also have speech disorders will most likely have a tongue thrust or orofacial myofunctional disorder (OMD) according to Hanson and Mason (2003)
Approximately 31% of children who are chronic mouth breathers, which is a symptom of OMDs, will also have articulation disorders (Silvia F Hitos 1, Renata Arakaki, Dirceu Solé, Luc L M Weckx, 2013)
It’s reported that 62%-73.3% of those receiving orthodontic treatment OR with dental malocclusions will have an OMD (Hale, Keilum, & Bishop, 1988; Stahl, Grabowski, Gaebel, & Kundt, 2007)
In individuals with TMJD, there is a whopping 97.92% who have concurring OMD (Ferreira, Da Silva, & de Felicio, 2009)
These are just a handful of the studies showing the prevalence of OMDs today. There are thousands more that show a high prevalence of not only OMDs but also tongue and lip ties, which also lead to OMDs.
If you’re considering this incredibly rewarding specialty, run don’t walk to get into The Myo Method® today, where you’ll learn not only the history of this field, but also how to assess, create a treatment plan, and confidently treat your first myofunctional therapy client!
See you inside.
