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Effect of orofacial exercises on oral aperture in adults with systemic sclerosis [with consumer summary]
Yuen HK, Marlow NM, Reed SG, Mahoney S, Summerlin LM, Leite R, Slate E, Silver RM
Disability and Rehabilitation 2012;34(1):84-89
clinical trial
7/10 [Eligibility criteria: Yes; Random allocation: Yes; Concealed allocation: No; Baseline comparability: Yes; Blind subjects: No; Blind therapists: No; Blind assessors: Yes; Adequate follow-up: Yes; Intention-to-treat analysis: Yes; Between-group comparisons: Yes; Point estimates and variability: Yes. Note: Eligibility criteria item does not contribute to total score] *This score has been confirmed*

PURPOSE: To examine the effect of a home orofacial exercise program on increasing oral aperture among adults with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHOD: Forty-eight adults with SSc were assigned randomly to the multifaceted oral-health intervention or usual dental care control group. Participants with an oral aperture of < 40 mm in the intervention group received an orofacial exercise program, which included daily manual mouth-stretching and oral-augmentation exercises twice a day with a total of 6 minutes for 6 months. The outcome measure was oral aperture which was measured at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months intervals. RESULTS: A significantly larger increase in oral aperture for participants received the orofacial exercise program was found when compared to those in the usual care at 3 months (p = 0.01), but not at 6-months evaluation. Participants' adherence rate to the exercise program was low (48.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The orofacial exercise program intervention for adults with SSc and microstomia did not show significant improvement at 6 months. In addition to the low exercise adherence rate, insufficient frequencies, repetitions, and durations of the orofacial exercises may contribute to these results.

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