Placa palatina de memória em crianças com síndrome de Down: relato de casos

Abstract

Down syndrome (DS), also known as trisomy 21 (T21), is a common genetic condition that results in intellectual disability in humans due to a chromosomal change. This syndrome has several clinical manifestations, including systemic and craniofacial manifestations. An alternative treatment for orofacial hypotonicity in children with DS is the Palatal Memory Plate (PMP), which is recommended preventively in cases of muscle hypotonia or specific problems such as a hypotonic tongue in the interdental or interlabial position for several hours per day, diastasis and additional protrusion of the tongue, and an inactive hypotonic upper lip with narrow sides. PMP consists of lingual and lip stimulation, with buttons or grooves on the plate to position the tongue and stimulate the lip, promoting lip sealing. This multidisciplinary treatment, involving dentists and speech therapists, has been shown to be effective in reducing tongue protrusion. The present study aimed to evaluate the results of PMP use in two children with DS: one patient without any erupted teeth in the oral cavity and another with erupted teeth. It was not possible to follow the protocol indicated for PMP use in the evaluated patients due to several specific factors, which reinforces the need for individual adaptations and multidisciplinary teams.