Orofacial therapy in infants with Down syndrome

¹ University Professor / Hospital Practitioner, Pediatric Odontology, Faculty member of the Dept. of Odontology at the Université de Rennes 1 and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes  
² Prothestist, Odontology and Oral Surgery Sectors, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes  
³ Speech Therapist, SESSAD [Special Education and Home Care] Down syndrome d’Ille-et-Vilaine (Saint-Grégoire) and Speech Therapist, Rennes  
⁴ Speech Therapist, Caen  
⁵ Hospital Practitioner, specific care, Odontology and Oral Surgery Sectors, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes  

Mailing address: Jean-Louis Sixou – UFR d’odontologie, 2 avenue du Pr Léon-Bernard – 35043 Rennes Cedex. E-mail: jean-louis.sixou@univ-rennes1.fr

Received: 11 July 2016
Accepted: 18 August 2016

Abstract

Children with Down syndrome (DS) have specific orofacial characteristics including myo-functional disorders. Care of these patients, from the first months of life, needs to involve numerous health professionals. Oral care by dentists can start when the child is three months old with the use of palatal plates that aim at activating and stimulating different functions. This action is complementary of that of speech therapists, physiotherapists, psycho-motor therapists and pediatricians. It helps children with DS learn the various parts of the oral cavity. This is completed by stimulating pinpoint anatomical areas on the face. The goal of this paper is to describe this approach to orofacial pathology and analyze the results of studies published on this topic.