What is Drooling?

Unnecessary saliva loss, or drooling, is commonly seen in teething babies. It is normal for young children until around the age of 2, and should gradually decrease after the first two-three years of life. If drooling persists after 3-4 years of age, parents should consider seeking advice from a professional speech and language pathologist as a child may benefit from oral-motor and oral-sensory therapy.

What Causes Drooling?

Saliva production may increase as a response to teething, certain foods and medications, or motor activities that require balance. Drooling may also be a result of swallowing difficulty (dysphagia) and in some cases developmental delays or disorders. Decrease of saliva production may be a trigger for swallowing difficulties due to a constant open-mouth posture or poor oral-sensory awareness.

Treatment

Following a comprehensive assessment, our specialists employ intervention strategies based on client’s needs. Depending on underlying causes, we may focus on helping your child achieve a closed mouth posture, teaching concepts of “wet” and “dry”, increasing oral-sensory awareness, or improving oral-motor control and swallowing. Along with cognitive techniques, our therapists use the Beckman Oral-Motor exercises to remediate drooling.

I f you would like to get more information, or to find out how we can help, please request a FREE screening appointment.