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Tidskrift

Sammanfattning

Oral senSOry-motor impairment can have a negative effect on orofacial functions, such as sucking, chewing and swallowing, speech, facial expression and saliva control. It may also affect the occlusion and oral health. Dentists, speech-language pa- thologists and other professionals who assess and treat patients with orofacial dysfunctions need valid and reliable instruments for examination and for effective therapy methods. Oral sensory-motor therapy is generally part of more extensive care that may include medication, surgery, orthodontics, prosthodontics, speech therapy, communication aids, dietary adjust- ment, counselling and guidance. Adequate care for patients with orofacial dysfunctions normally necessitates multidisciplinary co-operation. This review presents a selection of methods that are available for the assessment of oral motor function and sensibility and also gives examples of different methods and tools for oral sensory-motor therapy. A number of intervention studies indicate improved function as a result of oral sensory-motor therapy, but, according to existing systematic reviews, the level of evidence is mostly low, due to insuffcient study design. One way of ensuring the quality of care for children and adolescents with orofacial dysfunctions is systematically to follow up and document the clinical experience. Good care also includes the therapist obtaining relevant information about the patient's medical condition, individualising the treatment and clarifying the method and the goals together with the patient and others that are involved in the therapy pian.

MeSH