The mouth is a complex organ composed of three systems: the myofunctional system, the dental system, and the medical system. There is no one specific cause for orofacial myofunctional disorders. There may be multiple contributing factors within these three systems that negatively influence how the 5 basic mouth functions will work.
OROFACIAL MYOFUNCTIONAL SYSTEM: Conditions within this system make it difficult for the orofacial muscles to function correctly.
There are different conditions that affect the function of the lips:
- Short upper lip
- Restricted maxillary frenum
- Everted lower lip
- Flaccid muscles of the lips
- Tight muscles of the chin and neck
There are different conditions that affect the function of the tongue:
- Incorrect development of the tongue muscles
- Restricted lingual frenum
- Enlarged tonsils
- Restricted palate
There are different conditions that affect the function of the jaw:
- Jaw muscle pain, injury, nerve damage, etc.
- Disc displacement
- Dental discrepancies
DENTAL SYSTEM: Conditions within this system make it difficult for the orofacial muscles to function correctly.
- Shape of the hard palate
- Relationship between the upper and lower arches
- Alignment of the teeth
- Dental appliances on the palate, on the teeth or between the teeth
MEDICAL SYSTEM: Conditions within this system make it difficult for the orofacial muscles to function correctly.
- Restricted nasal airway
- Enlarged tonsils
- Allergies, asthma, respiratory problems, etc.
- Syndromes, neurological conditions, injury, etc.
All of these systems and structures work together as a team. A dysfunction or altered functional pattern in any one of them affects the others, contributing to orofacial myofunctional disorders.
