The OMA ‐Project—Orofacial Myofunctional Behaviour in Adults: Effectiveness of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy Protocols in Healthy Young Adults With Orofacial Myofunctional Disorders

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to assess the short‐ and long‐term effectiveness of two intensive Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (OMT) protocols on orofacial myofunctional status, orofacial strength and Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). One protocol focused exclusively on breathing patterns and orofacial posture (Breathing and Posture Only group; OMT BPO ), while the other also incorporated orofacial muscle strengthening and swallowing patterns (Breathing, Posture, Strength and Swallowing group; OMT BPSS ). Additionally, adherence to home‐based exercises and satisfaction with OMT intervention were evaluated. Methods A convenience sample of 14 young adults was recruited and randomly allocated to one of the two therapy groups in this longitudinal, multigroup, pre‐test—post‐test study. Evaluations were conducted pre‐OMT, immediately post‐OMT, and at a 6‐month follow‐up. Each group (OMT BPO and OMT BPSS ) consisted of 7 participants (mean age: 19.1 years, SD: 0.69 years; and 18.8 years, SD: 0.55 years, respectively). Besides a clinical assessment, orofacial myofunctional status was evaluated using the Orofacial Myofunctional Evaluation with Scores (OMES). Tongue and lip strength and endurance were measured with the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI), and OHRQoL was evaluated using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP‐NL14) questionnaire. Therapy satisfaction was evaluated using a custom questionnaire with visual analogue scales. Results The linear mixed models analysis revealed no significant changes in OMES scores, orofacial strength and endurance or OHRQoL measures post‐intervention or at follow‐up. Generalised estimating equations analysis showed no immediate post‐therapy improvements in tongue posture; however, both OMT BPO ( p = 0.023) and OMT BPSS ( p = 0.033) demonstrated significant improvements at follow‐up. While descriptive analysis suggested improvements in swallowing patterns post‐therapy and at follow‐up, these changes were not statistically significant. The OMT BPSS group showed a significantly higher adherence rate than the OMT BPO group ( p = 0.026). Although therapy satisfaction was higher in the OMT BPSS group, this difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, including a small sample size of healthy young adults, the findings suggest that an intensive 5‐week OMT intervention may be sufficient to train motor skills necessary for improving orofacial functions. As improvements in orofacial myofunctional behaviour were similar across both OMT interventions, the more extensive program as offered in the OMT BPSS group may not provide additional benefits regarding the orofacial myofunctional outcomes for this population. However, variation in therapy content may be important for promoting adherence and therapy satisfaction. Future studies involving larger and more diverse samples, clinical populations and extended follow‐up periods are required to evaluate the generalizability and long‐term stability of these findings.