Bio-Exercise (BioEx) - A biocreative orofacial myofunctional therapy: preliminary cephalometric study and clinical application

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To introduce newly structured and developed orofacial myofunctional therapy (OFMFT) protocols named Bio-Exercise (BioEx), and evaluate the treatment effect of this method, using lateral cephalometric analysis on malocclusion with low tongue posture in young patients.

Methods:

A retrospective preliminary study was performed using orthodontic records from 28 patients (mean age of 8.41±1.45-year-old, 13 males, 15 females) treated with BioEx therapy using tongue elevators for 18.14±9.04 months (range: 6 to 37 months). Pretreatment (T₀) and post-BioEx therapy (T₁) lateral cephalograms were subsequently analyzed for tongue posture changes by linear, anteroposterior and vertical measurements. The data were analyzed by paired t-test, considering a 5% significance level.

Results:

The tongue length (TGL) and tongue height (TGH) increased statistically significant between T₀ and T₁. The decrease of the dorsum of the tongue perpendicular to the palatal plane (Td-PP value) was statistically significant. The increase of the tip of the tongue perpendicular to the pterygomaxillary vertical line (TT-PMV) was not statistically significant.

Conclusions:

These preliminary cephalometric results indicate that BioEx can be an effective OFMFT modality in increasing the tonicity of the tongue muscles to establish more normalized tongue position at rest.

Keywords:
Myofunctional therapy; Orthodontic appliances; Orthodontics, interceptive; Biocreative orthodontics; Bio-exercise