A case study on myofunctional therapy and malocclusions created by oral habits.

Purpose: To demonstrate the effect of an orofacial myofunctional therapy intervention by an interdisciplinary team composed of a registered dental hygienist who is also a certified orofacial myologist (COM®), a general dentist, and an orthodontist on the elimination of oral habits and changes in dental malocclusion. Method: This case study describes a 7-year-old female who underwent an individualized myofunctional therapy program and was given supervised education on a series of exercises targeting the muscles of mastication and facial expression over 5 months. Correct oral rest postures of the tongue and the lips were also established through therapy. Results: The intervention enabled the client to eliminate multiple oral habits, which corrected oral rest postures of the lips and tongue. This correction consequently improved the client's malocclusion and further prepared the client for future orthodontic treatment. Conclusion: Myofunctional therapy facilitated the elimination of unfavourable oral habits that led to malocclusion. Eliminating oral habits better prepared the client for orthodontic treatment and retention. Use of an interdisciplinary team facilitates optimal client care.

Objectif: Démontrer l'effet d'une thérapie orofaciale myofonctionnelle par une équipe interdisciplinaire composée d'un hygiéniste dentaire autorisé qui est aussi un myologiste orofacial certifié (COM®), d'un dentiste généraliste et d'un orthodontiste sur l'élimination des habitudes buccales et les changements de la malocclusion dentaire. Méthodologie: La présente étude de cas décrit une fille de 7 ans qui a suivi un programme personnalisé de thérapie myofonctionnelle et a reçu une éducation supervisée sur une série d'exercices ciblant les muscles de la mastication et de l'expression faciale au cours d'une période de 5 mois. La thérapie a aussi permis d'établir des postures appropriées de repos de la langue et des lèvres. Résultats: Grâce à la thérapie, la cliente a pu éliminer de multiples habitudes buccales, ce qui a corrigé les postures de repos buccal des lèvres et de la langue. Cette modification a par conséquent amélioré la malocclusion de la cliente et a permis de la préparer à un futur traitement orthodontique. Conclusion: La thérapie myofonctionnelle a favorisé l'élimination d'habitudes buccales défavorables qui ont mené à la malocclusion. En éliminant les habitudes buccales, la cliente était mieux préparée au traitement orthodontique et à la rétention. L'utilisation d'une équipe interdisciplinaire optimise les soins du client.

Comparison of AdvanSync and intermaxillary elastics in the correction of Class II malocclusions: A retrospective clinical study.

INTRODUCTION: Our objectives were to compare the skeletal, dentoalveolar, and soft tissue effects of the AdvanSync appliance (Ormco, Glendora, Calif) with intermaxillary elastics in the correction of Class II malocclusions in growing patients. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted using lateral cephalograms of patients taken before and after comprehensive orthodontic treatment; 41 patients consecutively treated with the AdvanSync were compared with 41 similar patients treated with intermaxillary Class II elastics. All patients had significant growth potential during treatment, as assessed by cervical vertebral maturation. A comparison group was generated from historical data bases and matched to the experimental groups for skeletal age, sex, and craniofacial morphology. Treatment changes were evaluated between the time points using a custom cephalometric analysis generating 31 variables as well as regional superimpositions. Data were analyzed using 1-way analysis of variance and Tukey-Kramer tests. RESULTS: The effects of the AdvanSync and fixed orthodontics included maxillary growth restriction, protrusion, proclination, and intrusion of the mandibular incisors as well as mesialization of the mandibular molars (P <0.01). The effects of Class II elastics and fixed orthodontics were similar to AdvanSync, with the exceptions of less maxillary growth restriction and greater retrusion and retroclination of the maxillary incisors (P <0.01). Significant mandibular growth stimulation, relative to the untreated controls, did not occur with either modality. CONCLUSION: AdvanSync and intermaxillary elastics were effective in normalizing Class II malocclusions during comprehensive fixed orthodontics. AdvanSync produced its effects through maxillary skeletal growth restriction and mandibular dentoalveolar changes. Class II elastics worked primarily through dentoalveolar changes in both the maxilla and the mandible.