Nancy Magar, MA, CCC-SLP, COM®, QOM hasover 33 years of experience as a certified Speech-Language Pathologist with aCertificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language HearingAssociation (ASHA).  She holds a statelicense in the states of Washington and Florida as a Speech-LanguagePathologist. Nancy earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and HearingSciences from the University of Washington and received her Master of Artsdegree in Speech and Language Pathology from Western Washington University.

Nancy’s career has specialized in treatingchildren and adults with orofacial myofunctional disorders (thumb/fingersucking habits, mouth breathing, tongue/lip/buccal ties), feeding, swallowingand oral motor disorders and speech sound disorders. Nancy obtainedcertification in the specialty field of orofacial myofunctional disorders(COM®) through the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM) in2002 and earned a second certification in orofacial myofunctional disorders(QOM) from Neo Health Services in December 2024. Nancy was an involved memberwith the IAOM Board of Directors for 10 years and served on the IAOM Board ofExaminers from 2011 to 2023.

Nancy grew up in Seattle, Washington andraised her family there.  She was thedirector and owner of the Myofunctional Clinic of Bellevue in Bellevue, WA from2002 until January 2024 after selling her practice.  She moved to Deerfield Beach lastFebruary.  Nancy looks forward to joiningDr. Koval Orthodontics and providing myofunctional and speech therapy serviceswithin the practice.

Over the years, Nancy has discovered thatindividuals who present with certain speech articulation disorders, sleepdisordered breathing disorders, and TMJ disorders have orofacial myofunctionaldisorders (OMDs) as the root cause. Nancy is an expert at identifying theunderlying causes behind abnormal oral muscle patterns such as a low andforward tongue posture against the teeth, mouth breathing habits, thumb suckinghabits, a lisp with /s/, and teeth grinding habits.  Correction of OMDs is a necessary componentto a successful orthodontic treatment plan. If the skeletal and dental structures are improved and the underlyingroot causes are not addressed, then orthodontic relapse can be expected.

Below are additional symptoms of anorofacial myofunctional disorder that would benefit from a myofunctionalevaluation and therapy:

• Frequent mouth breathing in theabsence of allergies or nasal congestion.
• Frequent open lip restingposture.
• Habitual low tongue restingposture against the upper/lower teeth.
• Lips are always dry and chappedor cracked from frequent licking.
• Tongue protruding between oragainst the upper/lower front teeth when forming /t/, /d/, /n/, /l/, /s/, /z/,/sh/, /ch/, /j/.
• Tongue protruding between oragainst the upper/lower front teeth when forming /t/, /d/, /n/, /l/, /s/, /z/,/sh/, /ch/, /j/.
• Noisy chewing and swallowing(smacking and gulping).
• Tongue, lip and buccal ties.
• Enlarged tonsils and adenoids.
• High, vaulted or narrow maxilla(roof of mouth).
• Acid reflux or belching due toswallowing excess air.
• Neck, back, and shoulder paindue to overcompensation for incorrect swallowing or tongue/lip resting posture.
• Sleep disorders including heavybreathing, snoring, sleep apnea and night enuresis.