Effectiveness of the Use of Palate Plates and Orofacial Stimulation in the Oral Development of Children with Down's Syndrome

Down's Syndrome children shown multiple alterations, among them marked general hypotony. While this produces some basic difficulties, at the orofacial level it generates a characterisitic expression marked by open mouth, hypotonic tongue that rests upon the lower lip, and great salivation. To ameliorate this, an orofacial regulation therapy was initiated, to stimulate this musculature, strengthen it and mold it during development. Objective: To observe the effect of stimulating palate plates, and orofacial exercises in the function and tonicity of children with Down's syndrome. Patients and Methods: Five children, 10 to 21 months old, with Down's Syndrome, were treated through orofacial regulation for 20 to 30 minutes, 4 times a day for 2 months (palate plates and orofacial stimulation exercises). Pre and post treatment evaluations were made and a photographic and video evaluation was registered weekly. Results and Conclusions: Therapy decreased lingual protrusion and increased buccal closure. This is not thought of as real tonicity change since that statement would require a long term and wider area study to determine effectiveness and applicability.