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Speech Therapy
With our approach to children, appointments become a pleasant experience rather than an unpleasant obligation. Would you like to know how we do it?
Speech therapy is not only about speech defects and disorders
Did you know that speech therapy is also closely connected with dentistry, particularly orthodontics? Speech therapy can support orthodontic treatment, shorten its duration and help prevent the recurrence of malocclusion. In cases of acquired malocclusion, eliminating or reducing a speech disorder can make orthodontic treatment more effective. Below, we explain why it is worth consulting a speech therapist about your child.
What does speech therapy involve?
Speech therapy is the study of proper speech development as well as the diagnosis and treatment of various speech defects and disorders. A speech therapist supports a child in developing eye contact, auditory attention, joint attention and imitation skills.
We are often unaware of how many different functions influence speech development and to what extent. For this reason, the speech therapist assesses the child’s breathing pattern and the way their tongue, lips and palate function.
The therapist also observes how the child eats, including biting, chewing and swallowing, as well as how they drink. Proper performance of these activities is extremely important for speech development.
We breathe, eat, drink and perform many movements involving the face and oral cavity from as early as the prenatal period. Therefore, any problems affecting these functions should be discussed with a specialist.
How are speech therapy and orthodontics connected?
Because the oral cavity is where speech sounds are articulated, proper bite development and correct tongue function are extremely important.
As part of an interdisciplinary approach, orthodontists refer children with malocclusion to speech therapists, while speech therapists may refer children to orthodontists. This is exactly how we work at Warsaw Dental Academy, providing children with comprehensive, multidisciplinary care and support.
Malocclusions are very often caused by improper function of the muscles of the face, lips, tongue and throat. Many orthodontic patients also experience myofunctional disorders, particularly an abnormal swallowing pattern, known as infantile swallowing, and an incorrect resting position of the tongue.
In the correct resting position, the entire surface of the tongue rests against the hard palate, the lips are closed, the teeth are together and breathing takes place through the nose.
Only in this position are the internal and external muscles of the tongue properly balanced, allowing the facial bones and structures to develop correctly.
An incorrect resting position of the tongue may contribute to:
- speech disorders caused by reduced mobility of the speech organs,
- malocclusion and abnormal development of the facial structures. When the tongue does not rest against the palate, the palate may become narrow and highly arched, causing dental crowding. In addition, when the tongue rests between the teeth instead of against the palate, the dental arches may fail to close properly.
At different stages of therapy, the speech therapist prepares and conducts exercises involving the tongue, lips and swallowing. The therapist also works on hand-eye coordination and proper breathing. In preschool and school-age children, therapy is often supported by flexible orthodontic appliances, such as trainers and oral vestibular plates. There are currently many types of flexible orthodontic appliances available. They can be selected according to the child’s age, stage of growth and the stage at which primary teeth are being replaced by permanent teeth.
Their shared advantage, both in orthodontic treatment and speech therapy, is that they help change an oral breathing pattern at rest into a proper one. The patient begins to breathe through the nose while the tongue is maintained in an elevated position against the palate.
Combining the expertise of a speech therapist and an orthodontist provides the best opportunity for healthy teeth and the prevention of problems associated with malocclusion and speech disorders. For this reason, ongoing cooperation between these specialists is essential.
Healthy teeth are not enough. A proper bite and correct function of the entire oral cavity are equally important.
When should you take your child to a speech therapist?
Speech therapy should begin as early as possible in a child’s development, as treatment may become more difficult with age.
A speech therapy assessment is recommended when a child experiences any of the following difficulties:
