This study compared the effectiveness of FaceFormer therapy and another non-apparative myofunctional therapy method. The results showed that harmonization of orofacial dysfunctions is possible with both functional therapy concepts. However, FaceFormer therapy proved to be the more efficient method during the six-month observation period.

Evaluation of an innovative device-based therapy to harmonize the orofacial musculature and function

A prospective randomized clinical study in children

During a six-month period, 45 patients aged between 3.9 and 16.9 years were prospectively examined at three-month intervals in the Polyclinic for Orthodontics at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf. All patients had multiple orofacial dysfunctions requiring treatment at the beginning of the study. The patients were randomized into a non-apparative myofunctional therapy group [MFT group] (n = 19 patients) and an apparative FaceFormer therapy group [FFT group] (n = 26 patients). The MFT group served as the control group, while the FFT group was the study group. Both groups were comparable in terms of age, gender and severity of dysfunction. The findings, which were carried out at three-month intervals, were based on a standardized examination form for patients with orofacial dysfunctions [90] and a functional examination form. The lip competence, breathing mode, articulation, lip habits, swallowing pattern and lip strength were diagnosed. On the basis of the available test results, it was determined that harmonization of orofacial dysfunctions is possible with the help of both functional therapy concepts. During the observation period of six months, FaceFormer therapy proved to be more efficient than myofunctional therapy in speech therapy practices.

Establishing of nasal breathing

Image 1: Myofunctional therapy group (MFT)

Image 2: FaceFormer therapy group (FF)

Compared to non-apparative myofunctional therapy, highly significant results were achieved with the FaceFormer therapy in establishing nasal breathing (p=0.001). At the beginning of the study, 88.5% of the subjects in the study group were diagnosed with existing mouth breathing. After six months, this could only be detected in 23.5% of the patients. In the control group, the proportion of patients with habitual mouth breathing decreased from 94.7% at the beginning to 69.2% during the observation period.

Establishing of a physiological swallowing pattern

Image 3: Myofunctional therapy group (MFT)

Image 4: FaceFormer therapy group (FF)

FaceFormer therapy is also superior to myofunctional therapy when it comes to establishing a physiological swallowing pattern (p=0.000). A somatic swallowing pattern could be demonstrated in all subjects of both therapy groups before the start of therapy. After six months, only 29.4% of the patients in the study group still showed an unphysiological swallowing pattern, compared with 84.6% of the subjects in the control group.

Increase in lip strength

A highly significant increase in lip strength was demonstrated in both therapy groups over the course of the study. Within the FaceFormer collective, however, this improvement was achieved in a shorter period of time. When comparing the development of average lip strength after three months of therapy, the available therapy results showed an increase in lip strength within the FaceFormer group by a factor of 2.35 (T0= 11.23 mbar; T1= 26.41 mbar). During the same period, the lip strength within the control group could only be increased by an average factor of 0.31 (T0= 14.28 mbar; T1= 20.69 mbar).

Image 5: Lip strength of the comparison groups

Improvement of articulation

Image 6: Myofunctional therapy group (MFT)

Image 7: FaceFormer therapy group (FF)

In contrast to other studies, no significant improvements in the treatment of articulation disorders could be diagnosed in the present study within the observation period of six months.

University Hamburg

From the Polyclinic for Orthodontics at the Center for Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf Director : Prof. Dr. med. dent. B. Kahl-Nieke