GUESS-THE-FORM

Myofunktional Exercise  Collect ion

Application:

This exercise will be set to increase the sensitivity within the oral cavity in general and especially the feeling with the tongue, particularly the recognition of foreign objects.

Contents:

Training of the ability to recognize defined standardized objects within the oral cavity.

Materials:

Applied will be small forms about cent-size secured with a safety line. It has been suggested in literature to utilize standardized items in different shapes as rings, triangles, squares, an alphabetic character or a figure. These forms will be depicted on a tablet and are to be identified and pointed out by the patient after the form has been placed in the mouth. (see “Discussion”).

Procedure:

- Previous exercises:

As a diagnostic exercise this method does not depend on other applications. It may be used as a success control in therapy after the implementation of  SENSITIVITY EXERCISES.

-Starting position: A certain posture is not afforded; valuable might again be the  BASIC-POSITION to generally attune to an attentive body feeling.

- Step-by-step-Description:

-1 Covertly one of the standardized forms is deposited in the patient’s mouth; for the start it should be an easily recognizable one.

-2 The patient will now point with his finger to the respective picture on the tablet in a certain time.

-3 Failure or success in identifying and perhaps the time needed will be taken down in a protocol.

- Timing:

The general timing for the positioning in the total therapy course has been mentioned. For the procedure scheme also see illustration. Accordingly the sensitization will be the first step in the therapy succession. A special timing as for sequences or series is not recommended. Concerning the ‘pro rate temporis’  either a timeframe for the recognition is set, braking off after having passed the time limit, then, to choose a new form, or the overall time for a successful recognition is  noted. 

Characteristics:

Surface sensitivity, heterostereognosis, motivation, diagnostic exercise.

Remarks:

The forms should be well secured by a chain or thread to avoid deglutition or aspiration. With hypersensitive patients desensitizing exercises might be recommended like SWEEP-AND-TAP

Discussion:

This exercise conveys self experience especially for the patient with a poor sanitary state of the oral cavity. In these cases the patient just is not aware of his mouth hole which will frequently be link up with multiple symptoms as mouth breathing or the Open Mouth Habit (OHM), with dysphagia and speech defects but in addition with oral hygiene deficits (caries). Moreover the incapability to perform the physiological self cleaning or even the efficient rinsing with water (TEETHRINSING) must be counted to this deficit.

For relevant evaluation the standardization of the  mentioned figures would be very valuable.

The exercise is less suitable for home training as it should rather be practiced in a controlled way as a test during the session in the office. It, therefore, is suitable in connection with the DIAGNOSTIC EXERCISES.

As a standalone exercise it will be scheduled for several sessions to mediate the concentrativeness for the cognisant sensing. In case the exercise will be prescribed for the home practicing the included instruction for the patient will be quite useful.

Instructions:

The tongue can see! It needs to! After all it should check if there are objects among the food which might be dangerous for the stomach like bits of glass.

If it does not perform this function properly it really needs to practice it. That is why we have these small figures. And then we need some body who will help us practicing as you should not sneak a look while the figure is put into your mouth. And hold on to it as not to swallow it occasionally! And then guess as quickly as possible which for it has and point it out on the table.

So, at least 10 times the tongue will have to guess the form before it may have a pause.

And once at noon and once in the evening!