Common terms

TOTs? Myo? OMDs?
Here are some common terms and brief definitions you may see on our website and come across in your own research.

• TOTs - Tethered oral tissues. This refers to a band of tissue (frenulum) in the mouth that is too tight, resulting in dysfunction. This is not to be confused with a typical frenulum, which is a band of tissue that is not restricted and therefore does not cause any adverse functional effects - it is a normal anatomical structure. There are seven possible tie locations in the mouth - tongue, lips (upper and lower), and buccal, or cheek (two upper and two lower).

• Myo - Myofunctional therapy. This type of therapy targets strength, stability, and coordination of the orofacial structures in order to eliminate dysfunction, such as incorrect oral rest posture, noxious oral habits (thumb sucking, pacifier use, etc.), tongue thrust, and more. Exercises target specific structures in and around the mouth that require intervention.

• OMDs - Orofacial myofunctional disorders. This term refers to disorders related to the facial and oral musculature and their function. OMDs may manifest in a variety of ways, including nursing difficulties, issues with chewing and swallowing, speech delay, mouth breathing, poor dental health and alignment, suboptimal facial growth and development, and more.

• Frenectomy/Frenulectomy/Frenotomy - Terms often used to refer to the procedure that cuts (frenotomy) or removes (frenectomy/frenulectomy) tethered oral tissue.

Resources

Websites

• Alabama Tongue Tie Center

• The Breathe Institute

• Dr. Ghaheri's Website

• International Affiliation of Tongue Tie Professionals

• Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy

• TalkTools

Books

• Tongue Tied: How a Tiny String Under the Tongue Impacts Nursing, Speech, Feeding, and More by Dr. Richard Baxter, DMD, MS

• Sleep, Interrupted by Steven Y. Park, MD

• Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor

• Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic by Sandra Kahn and Paul R. Erhlich

• Nobody Ever Told Me (Or My Mother) That! by Diane Bahr, MS, CCC-SLP

• Six-Foot Tiger, Three-Foot Cage: Take Charge of Your Health by Taking Charge of Your Mouth by Dr. Felix Liao, DDS