Journal of Disability and Oral Health

cover art

Cover Date:
June 2009
Print ISSN:
1470-8558
Electronic ISSN:
1754-2758
Vol:
10
Issue:
2

An overview of the Oral Motor Function Therapy Clinic in the Special Care Unit in Westmead Hospital, Australia

Abstract Oral Motor Function Disorder (OMFD), such as feeding problems, occurs frequently in children with neurological impairment. Common parental complaints include: poor sucking, difficulty in breastfeeding, problems with the introduction of solid foods, difficulty in drinking liquids, difficulty in biting or chewing solids, and coughing and choking with meals. OMFD is a major factor in the pathogenesis of under nutrition and usually correlates with the severity of motor impairment. Children with more severe impairment who are unable to lift their heads or feed themselves have a higher risk of aspiration. The Oral Motor Function Therapy (OMFT) clinic in Special Care Unit in Westmead Centre for Oral Health looks after children with disabilities who have problems with drooling, eating and drinking. OMFT includes many home based exercises involving the carers and the children. This paper gives an overview of the running of the OMFT clinic, including the aim of the clinic, method of assessment, diagnostic criteria, different OMFT and treatment approach.

Keywords: Oral motor function therapy, drooling, dysphagia

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
1
Page End
12
Authors
Leda Mugayar, Antonio Lee, Emma Jay, Melissa Compton, Simrit Malhi

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Editorial
  2. 0
  3. 0

  1. An overview of the Oral Motor Function Therapy Clinic in the Special Care Unit in Westmead Hospital, Australia
  2. 1
  3. 12

  1. Recruitment difficulties associated with epidemiological surveys of the dental health of children with a Statement of Educational Special Needs in four PCTs in the Northwest of England in 2006/7
  2. 1
  3. 8

  1. An investigation of the caries experience of children with an intellectual disability living in a residential centre or at home
  2. 1
  3. 4

  1. Evaluation of the impact of dental status and salivary secretion on people with dysphagia
  2. 1
  3. 6

  1. Further abstracts from the IADH Congress, Santos, Brazil October 2008
  2. 1
  3. 1

  1. Oral hygiene education programme for intellectually impaired students attending a special school
  2. 1
  3. 7

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