Drooling
Profuse drooling is never normal or typical. If a child’s shirt is constantly or frequently wet, this would be considered profuse or atypical drooling.
What is Drooling?
While drooling is normal in infants up to approximately 18–24 months of age, persistent or excessive drooling beyond this stage is not considered typical and warrants evaluation. Profuse drooling—where a child’s shirt, chin, or hands are frequently wet—indicates that the body is not managing saliva effectively.
Drooling occurs when the normal swallow reflex is not triggered frequently enough, when lip seal is insufficient to contain saliva, or when low muscle tone in the face and tongue prevents adequate oral control. It is often associated with open mouth rest posture and mouth breathing.
Beyond the social and hygiene concerns, chronic drooling can lead to skin irritation around the mouth and chin, increased risk of oral infections, and challenges with peer interaction and self-esteem, particularly for school-age children. Addressing drooling through orofacial myofunctional therapy targets the root cause rather than simply managing the symptom.
Signs & Symptoms
- Wet chin, lips, or clothing throughout the day
- Frequent need to wipe the mouth or chin
- Skin irritation or rash around the mouth and chin
- Open mouth rest posture with lips apart
- Low tongue posture (tongue resting on the floor of the mouth)
- Infrequent or inefficient swallowing pattern
- Mouth breathing during the day or while sleeping
- Difficulty keeping food or liquid in the mouth while eating
How Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Helps
Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy addresses drooling by targeting the underlying muscle weakness, oral posture dysfunction, and swallowing frequency that cause poor saliva management. We do not simply remind patients to swallow more often—we retrain the system so that proper saliva management becomes automatic.
Therapy focuses on three key areas: establishing lip seal (so saliva stays in the mouth), improving tongue posture and tone (so the tongue supports efficient swallowing), and increasing swallow frequency through neuromuscular retraining. As these foundational skills improve, drooling resolves naturally.
For children with developmental differences or neurological conditions, therapy is adapted to their abilities and may involve caregiver coaching, visual prompts, and coordination with occupational and speech therapy providers.
Therapy Techniques
- Lip seal and lip tone strengthening activities
- Tongue elevation and palatal resting posture training
- Swallow frequency awareness and prompting exercises
- Oral motor strengthening for cheeks and jaw
- Nasal breathing promotion to encourage mouth closure
- Mealtime strategies for improved oral control
Expected Outcomes
- Significant reduction or elimination of drooling
- Improved lip seal and consistent mouth closure
- Better tongue resting posture and swallowing efficiency
- Healthier skin around the mouth and chin
- Increased confidence in social and school settings
- Improved overall oral hygiene and function
Who is this for?
Toddlers, children, teens, and adults who experience persistent drooling beyond the age of 2. Also appropriate for individuals with developmental or neurological differences who have difficulty with saliva management.
Noticing persistent drooling? An evaluation can identify the underlying cause.