PREFACE

It is an honor and privilege to endorse the second edition of an important and unique handbook on orofacial myofunctional disorders (OMDs), titled: “Clinical Handbook of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy”by orthodontist and friend Dr. Jane Shi. Dr. Shi and I have exchanged information and perspectives related to OMDs for several years. She has visited with me and my wife in the USA on two occasions. I am honored to consider her a friend.

Dr. Shi has been a “pioneer” in China in teaching about the field of orofacial myology and encouraging the inclusion of myofunctional therapy into dental practices. The first edition of the “Clinical Handbook of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy” has achieved wide readership and acceptance. The Second Edition further expands Dr. Shi’s knowledge, clinical perspectives and treatment modalities pertinent to the discipline.

It is important for those interested in the field of orofacial myology to realize that providing clinical services for OMDs will require considerable training by well-informed and supervised teachers and clinicians prior to providing services for individuals with OMDs. There is a current lack, worldwide, of appropriate clinical research to document and validate many clinical assumptions regarding orofacial myofunctional therapy.

In my opinion, Dr. Jane Shi is one of the few clinicians worldwide who strives to provide supporting documentation for the various clinical procedures included in her handbook. Unfortunately, myofunctional therapy is currently being employed inappropriately in some countries. It is hoped that additional clinical research will serve to validate or dismiss some current questionable claims of success. The information and clinical procedures included in Dr. Shi’s handbook represent well-acceptable perspectives and procedures in orofacial myology.

I am happy to endorse and recommend Dr. Jane Shi’s Second Edition of her handbook, “Clinical Handbook of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy”, and I do so with great enthusiasm.

DMD, PhD

Craniofacial Orthodontist

Speech-Language Pathologist (ASHA Fellow)

Emeritus Professor and Chief of Orthodontics

Division of Plastic, Reconstructive and Oral Surgery

Department of Surgery

Duke University Medical Center

Former Head of Speech Pathology Programs

Miami University (Ohio) and University of Kentucky, USA

Past President, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association

Previous Board Member and Medical Adviser, International Association of Orofacial Myology