I believe in evidence-based medicine. I just came across an interesting research article in an oromyofunctional study group, and it’s too great not to share!
This particular article retrospectively assessed patients who had previously undergone orthognathic surgery.
The study found that atypical swallowing was associated with relapse regardless of dentofacial deformity or surgical procedure performed and that atypical swallowing can appear after treatment in patients who were initially free of it.
And there’s more….
The article also said, “The presence of a pretreatment open bite also was associated with an increased risk of relapse.”
What does orofacial myofunctional therapy (OMT) offer for orthognathic surgery patients? OMT re-educates muscle patterns associated with oral rest posture and deglutition to the new bite and bone structure created with orthognathic surgery. By establishing a correct oral rest posture and swallowing pattern, we reduce the chance of relapse. We can also see improvement in maximum opening as well.
If someone is undergoing orthognathic surgery, they should also be prescribed orofacial myofunctional therapy as the standard of care.
Link to the study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29024621