Application Guide for Orofacial Myofunctional Screening in Spanish Health Services

Orofacial myofunctional disorders impact essential activities such as eating, breathing, and speaking, and can present at any age. Early detection and management of orofacial myofunctional disorders are crucial to prevent long-term complications and improve users' quality of life. This brief clinical study introduces an application guide for an orofacial myofunctional screening, designed for use by Spanish-speaking speech therapists. The guide aims to standardize the observation and recording, reducing subjectivity and enabling quick, reproducible evaluations in a single session. A 6-year-old boy was evaluated using this screening, which covered medical history, morphological, muscular, and sensory aspects, orofacial functions, and speech sounds. The study found the screening tool to be practical and viable, facilitating early detection and guiding more detailed evaluations and interventions.