• Journal of the korean academy of Pediatric Dentistry
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.246-250
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• 2000

The oral screen is a functional appliance, suitable for the treatment of developing malocclusion associated with aberrant muscular patterns. The better muscle balance between tongue and the buccinator mechanism can be established, and the reestablishment of normal growth and development can be achieved. The oral screen can be used for the correction of the following conditions : (1) thumbsucking, tongue thrusting and lip biting, (2) mouth breathing, (3) mild distocclusion with premaxillary protrusion, (4) open bites in deciduous and mixed dentition, and (5) incompetent lips. The patient should wear the oral screen every night and also during the day whenever possible. The effects of oral screen can be elevated through lip seal exercise : the lips should be kept in contact all the time to improve the lip seal. In the presented two cases, the patients were considered mouth breathers and to have incompetent lips, and one patient with maxillary incisal protrusion and the other with open bite. They were instructed to wear the oral screen with lip seal exercise. After wearing the appliance for 1 and 2 years respectively, mouth breathing was decreased and lip length and strength were increased, the maxillary incisors were retruded and open bite reduced.