Myofunctional therapy in patients with orofacial dysfunctions affecting speech

Area of Science:

• Speech-Language Pathology
• Myofunctional Therapy
• Phoniatrics

Background:

• Orofacial dysfunctions like tongue thrusting and deviate swallowing are primary causes of articulation disorders.
• Early bottle feeding and sucking habits contribute to the development of these orofacial dysfunctions.
• Phoniatricians play a crucial role in the early detection and speech therapy for these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of myofunctional therapy in treating orofacial dysfunctions affecting articulation.
• To assess improvements in orofacial muscle function, swallowing patterns, and articulation.
• To determine the role of myofunctional therapy in phoniatric practice for speech disorders.

Main Methods:

• Compilation of case histories, phoniatric, myofunctional, and dental/orthodontic data from 103 patients (aged 3-30 years).
• Analysis of outcomes for 45 patients who completed myofunctional therapy.
• Assessment of changes in lip strength, lip closure, breathing, tongue placement, swallowing, and orofacial muscle balance.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements observed in lip strength, lip closure, breathing, tongue placement, swallowing patterns, and orofacial muscle balance.
• Two-thirds (66%) of patients achieved normal articulation after therapy.
• Speech defects were resistant to therapy in only two cases.

Conclusions:

• Myofunctional therapy is highly effective in improving orofacial muscle function and swallowing.
• The therapy demonstrates significant success in treating articulation disorders, with most patients achieving normal speech.
• Myofunctional therapy is a valuable treatment modality in phoniatrics for articulation disorders.