# A Customized Mouthguard Design for a Child with Orofacial Myofunctional Disorder: A Case Report

## TL;DR

A customized mouthguard was designed for a child with orofacial myofunctional disorder to improve oral habits and prevent trauma.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a novel mouthguard design that incorporates sensory feedback to address tongue thrusting and lip seal issues in children.

## Key findings

- The custom mouthguard design included an uncut anterior palate region and multiple holes to allow tongue-palate contact.
- Over 20 months, the patient showed improved tongue elevation and increased lip seal at rest without oral trauma.
- The design successfully incorporated individual oral functional characteristics for pediatric use.

## Abstract

When fabricating custom-made mouthguards for children, tooth replacement is an important factor for dentists to consider. In addition, orofacial myofunctional disorders and deleterious oral habits—such as incompetent lip seal and tongue thrusting—are relatively common among children and are associated with an increased risk of oral and dental trauma. Therefore, individual oral functional characteristics should be taken into account when designing custom-made mouthguards for pediatric patients. This report presents a case involving the design, fabrication, and appliance management of a custom-made mouthguard for a Japanese boy exhibiting incompetent lip seal and tongue thrusting. In this case, the anterior palate region of the mouthguard was left uncut, and multiple holes were created using a carbide bur to permit tongue–palate contact and provide sensory feedback related to tongue elevation. Over a 20-month follow-up period, no oral or dental trauma was observed. During appliance use, the patient demonstrated improved tongue elevation and an increased frequency of lip seal at rest. This case illustrates a custom mouthguard design that incorporates individual oral functional characteristics in a pediatric patient.