The relations between Orthodontics and Logopaedics are a very complex and fascinating topic. 

Since the sixties and seventies of the last century, the most attentive Orthodontists, aware of the limits of a purely mechanical orthodontic approach, have sought the collaboration of Speech Therapists to reeducate oral muscles in order to improve and stabilize the effects of their therapies.

Since then much energy has been spent try to understand the relationships between occlusion and swallowing, occlusion and posture, and occlusion and breathing.

Speech, although mainly occurring in the mouth, has remained the less known somatic oral function both in the dental and the phoniatric/logopedic field. The philosophical and biological complexity linked to the articulatory gestures have, in fact, deeply slowed the understanding of the delicate mechanisms of verbal production as a whole.

Driven by a deep passion for singing and functional orthodontics, after many years of solitary study, meditations and research, thanks to an integrated multidisciplinary approach, I have finally managed to outline the complex pattern of interactions between the voice, the articulatory oral gestures and the oral environment in which these are performed.

This seminar has given me so far the joy of sharing with many colleagues dentists, orthodontists, speech-language pathologists, ENTs, physiotherapists and osteopaths the enthusiasm of a new vision of dental occlusion and the opportunity to lay the foundations for a deep and concrete interdisciplinary discussion on the pathophysiology of the ultimate human function: speech and language.

When I found out that the famous American SLP Linda D’Onofrio, major specialist in the world of oromyofunctional disorders, was preparing a course entitled “How oral motor impacts articulation and language” I couldn’t resist and I did everything to engage with her. And she flattered me with the honour of accepting the engagement.

Linda and I share the belief that the paradigm by which speech articulation and language development are purely cognitive and innate functions, not conditioned by oral muscular and skeletal structure, must be necessarily and urgently revised.

During the seminar dentists and orthodontists will acquire new essential information to restore a truly functional dental occlusion, suitable for all oral functions, speech included,  and therefore stable; speech therapists will better understand the anatomical basis and the pathogenetic mechanisms of the most challenging dysfunctional situations they face every day: phonetic and phonological disorders, dysfunctional dysphonia, stuttering and dyslexia.

Speech is the ultimate human function. Knowledge of speech is illuminating, strengthening and deeply rewarding for every human being. Linda and I know something about it.

Barbara Barbierato