Neutral supporting mandibular advancement device with tongue bead for passive myofunctional therapy: a long term follow-up study

摘要

Myofunctional therapy has been reported to be a valid adjunct treatment to OSA, but compliance was mentioned as an issue. We performed a prospective study on age matched randomized children submitted to myofunctional therapy (MFT) or to a functional device used during sleep (passive MFT). 110 children 4 to 16 were recruited for the study, 54 children were in the MFT group [A] while 56 were in the “nocturnal device” group [B]. Clinical evaluation, polysomnography and cephalometric X-Rays were performed at baseline, 6 months and 12 months, with clinical follow-up at 3 months. MFT group show very important absence of compliance, at six months only 23 subjects participated and only 10/23 had been compliant with treatment. None came back for research investigation at 12 months. 48/56 of passive MFT children ended the research protocol at 12 months. Comparison of baseline to 6 and 12 months data showed that all children with passive MFT improved (PSG and cephalometrics) and had nasal breathing during sleep at 1 year, and no negative effect of device were noted. The 10 children compliant with MFT showed clear improvement of sleep related breathing with also changes at cephalometric -X-rays.