What Happens During an OMT Session? A Full Walkthrough
If you are considering orofacial myofunctional therapy for your child or yourself, the unknown can feel intimidating. Here is the honest answer to what happens during a session: your first visit is a gentle evaluation where your therapist learns your story, looks at how your mouth works at rest and in movement, and builds a personalized plan before any exercises begin. Later sessions are guided practice in front of a mirror, retraining the tongue, lips, and breathing. There is nothing invasive, nothing painful, and no surprises.
Orofacial myofunctional therapy, or OMT, can sound clinical and complicated. If you are a parent who has just learned your baby might have a tongue tie, or an adult who has been told mouth breathing may be affecting your sleep, the biggest barrier is usually the same: you are not sure what you are actually signing up for. So let me walk you through a session in plain language, the way I would before your first appointment.
I am Samantha Medeiros, an orofacial myofunctional therapist serving patients across Las Vegas and Nevada. In my practice, I work with newborns and their parents, children, and adults who are exploring OMT for tongue tie, airway health, sleep-disordered breathing, and swallowing patterns. Whatever your reason for being here, the experience is far gentler and more collaborative than you might imagine.
What is an orofacial myofunctional therapy session like?
An OMT session is a focused, one-on-one appointment with a trained therapist. It is not like a dental procedure, and it is not a workout class. It is best described as guided retraining of the muscles of the face, tongue, and throat, the same way physical therapy retrains a muscle after an injury. You sit in a comfortable chair, often with a mirror in front of you, and you learn small, specific movements that build healthier habits over time.
The therapist is an educator and a coach as much as a clinician. You will understand the why behind every exercise before you do it, and you will leave each session knowing exactly what to practice at home. For parents, that means a session is also a teaching moment: you learn the exercises alongside your child so you can support them between visits. Explore our OMT treatment process to see the conditions and goals this therapy addresses.
What happens at your first OMT evaluation?
The first appointment is not a workout at all. It is an evaluation, and it usually takes a full hour. This is where your therapist gathers the information needed to build a plan that is personal to you or your child.
The evaluation covers a few main areas:
- Your story and history. You will talk about breathing, sleep, snoring, feeding, swallowing, speech, jaw tension, headaches, and any history of tongue tie or frenectomy. For a baby or child, the therapist will ask about breastfeeding, bottle feeding, sleep position, and any concerns from other providers.
- A careful look at the face and mouth. The therapist observes the face at rest, the lips, how the tongue rests, whether the mouth stays open or closed, and how the tongue moves. This is done gently and with no discomfort.
- Simple movement checks. You may be asked to stick out the tongue, lift it to the roof of the mouth, or swallow. These are not exercises yet, just observations that help the therapist understand current patterns.
- A clear explanation and a plan. You will leave knowing what the findings mean, whether OMT is a good fit, and what a realistic program would look like for you. There is no pressure to commit on the spot.
If a tongue tie is part of the picture, the evaluation will also help clarify whether release is recommended and how therapy supports it. Read our tongue tie guide to understand the signs and when a myofunctional evaluation is the right next step.
What do OMT exercises actually look like during a session?
Here is the part people are most curious about, and it is much simpler than you might expect. In a follow-up session, you sit facing a mirror so you can see exactly what your tongue, lips, and jaw are doing. The therapist guides you through a short series of targeted movements and checks your form as you go.
Examples of exercises you might practice include:
- Tongue lifts and rests. Gently placing the tip of the tongue on the spot just behind the upper teeth and holding it there, retraining where the tongue rests.
- Lip seals. Closing the lips softly without strain, an important building block for nasal breathing.
- Swallow retraining. Learning to swallow with the tongue lifting to the palate instead of pushing forward or to the sides.
- Breathing exercises. Slowing the breath and shifting toward the nose, which matters for airway health and sleep.
Each exercise is small and gentle. You practice it together with the therapist until your form feels natural, and then the routine is set for home. The therapist makes small adjustments as you go, so the exercises always feel achievable rather than frustrating. For a child, this part is kept playful and short, with lots of encouragement and no pressure.
How long does each OMT session last?
A typical session runs about 45 to 60 minutes. The first evaluation is usually the longest, because the history and assessment take time. Follow-up sessions are a blend of checking how your home practice is going, reviewing the previous exercises, and adding a new one or two as you progress.
Sessions are usually scheduled weekly or bi-weekly, and the total program runs over several months. Between visits, the home routine is short: about 5 to 10 minutes per day in front of a mirror. Consistency beats intensity every time. Read our guide on OMT timelines for kids vs adults for a realistic picture of how long therapy takes.
What can you do at home between sessions?
The real work of OMT happens at home, in short daily practice. You repeat the specific exercises you learned, in front of a mirror so you can see your form. For a child, this often becomes a quick, fun part of the daily routine, and parents play the role of coach.
The most common reason progress stalls is not a difficult exercise, it is inconsistency. That is why I keep home routines short and simple, and why every session starts with a check-in on how the practice felt. If something is hard or uncomfortable, we adjust it together. There is no such thing as failing at home practice, only information we use to shape the next session.
For parents just starting out, the first visit can feel like a lot of new information. You do not need to memorize anything. You leave with clear instructions, and the therapist reviews the routine with you until it feels doable. Start with Tongue Tie 101 for parents if you are still figuring out whether evaluation makes sense.
How do I know if OMT is right for me or my child?
The short answer is: a myofunctional evaluation will tell you. If you or your child lives with mouth breathing, poor or restless sleep, snoring, swallowing or feeding challenges, jaw tension, or a known tongue tie, an evaluation is a low-pressure way to find out whether retraining the muscles of the mouth and face could help.
In Las Vegas, families often arrive at OMT through a pediatrician, a lactation consultant, a dentist, or an ENT who suspects a functional issue. Others find us after years of treating symptoms like headaches or poor sleep without a clear root cause. In every case, the evaluation gives you a clear, honest recommendation, and if OMT is not the right path, your therapist will say so and point you toward the provider who can help. See our FAQ for more answers about scheduling, what to expect, and how to get started, or contact us today to book a consultation.
Ready to See What OMT Feels Like?
A myofunctional evaluation is the first, gentle step. Samantha offers in-person sessions in Las Vegas and virtual appointments for patients across Nevada and Oregon.