Tongue myofunctional performance, strength and functionality index in Class II and Class III dentofacial deformities

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Speech-Language Pathology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Dentofacial deformities (DFD) are associated with orofacial myofunctional alterations.
• Specific characteristics of tongue position and motor performance in DFD patients are not well understood.
• Understanding these tongue characteristics is vital for DFD assessment and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate orofacial myofunctional status in Class II and Class III DFD patients.
• To analyze tongue position, mobility, swallowing behavior, and strength in DFD patients.
• To develop a tongue functionality index for DFD assessment.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-six DFD patients (Class II and Class III) and 19 controls were assessed.
• The Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores (OMES) protocol was utilized.
• Tongue strength was measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI).

Main Results:

• DFD patients demonstrated lower overall OMES scores, indicating poorer performance.
• Reduced tongue performance and strength during swallowing were observed in DFD patients (P < .01).
• The tongue functionality index showed excellent diagnostic accuracy in differentiating DFD patients.

Conclusions:

• DFD patients exhibit global orofacial myofunctional alterations and impaired tongue function.
• Reduced tongue strength during swallowing is a key finding in DFD.
• The tongue functionality index is a valuable tool for predicting tongue functional status in DFD.