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English, USA
Prof D Buchbinder, Division of Maxillofacial Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, Continuum Cancer Centers, New York, NY, USA
"I have been prescribing the TheraBite system for more than 10 years for my patients who have limited range of motion of the jaw. Many of my patients have had surgery or radiation treatment to the head and jaw area, and many of them have difficulty in opening their mouth. For many years, we used tongue depressors to help patients with limited range of motion of the jaw, but have determined that the TheraBite system provides a much better and faster result."
Prof W Mendenhall, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida Health Science Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
"While treating patients with radiation for head and neck cancer, we have noted a meaningful number of cases of trismus. We have tried many different approaches to the treatment of this condition, but are most impressed with the results of the TheraBite system. It is easy for patients to use, and offers consistently positive results.
Lynn Acton, MS, CCC/SLP, Speech Language Pathologist, New Haven, CT, USA
"Head and neck cancer patients who undergo surgical resection, external beam radiation treatment, or a combination of both treatments often suffer from trismus. Trismus effects ability to masticate, speech intelligibility, and oral care. I have found the TheraBite jaw motion system to be effective in the remediation of trismus in this population. The TheraBite not only stretches the muscles, but passively moves the mandibular joint".
Dr B Stack, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas Center for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
"I have used the TheraBite device in a variety of patients, including patients suffering from post-surgical and post-radiation trismus, as well as on TMJ patients. The typical patient responds well to the device, showing significant improvement in function. While rehabilitation does take some time and effort, it is encouraging to many patients, who find that they can resume eating and speaking properly."
B Messing, Recognized Specialist in Swallowing Disorders Speech Pathology Manager Clinical Specialist, Head and Neck Rehabilitation MJ Dance Head and Neck Rehab Center GBMC Baltimore, MD, USA
"Many of our head and neck cancer patients develop trismus either from surgical interventions and/or as a result of organ preservation treatments. We instruct our patients on the use of the TheraBite early post operatively or early in their treatment program. Our patients have had improved mandibular range of motion, and we believe, improved quality of life, with daily use of the TheraBite trismus device."
Dr Farole, DMD, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, BALA CYNWYD, PA, USA
"The use of a range of motion device called TheraBite has been instrumental and vitally important to the success of arthroscopy procedures. This simple and portable range of motion appliance is used to perform home physical therapy. The success of arthroscopy is dependent on the use of TheraBite. Further it feels good to use it." www.drfarole.com
Prof R Reich, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Bonn, Germany
"Over the past 13 years, I have used the TheraBite system in a wide variety of cases of limited jaw function, including persons with trismus, persons recovering from TMD surgery, and persons who have experienced facial trauma. I have found the device to be well-tolerated by the patient, and have seen quite consistently good results across this wide range of etiologies. As with many therapeutic treatments, we see that early intervention provides the best result for the patient."
Dr CHG Beurskens, PhD, Physical Therapist and Researcher, Center for Special Dental Care (CBT), UMC St Radboud, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
Dr AP Slagter, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Center for Special Dental Care (CBT), UMC St. Radboud, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and later at CBT in Leeuwarden Medical Center, the Netherlands
"At CBT, the Center for Special Dental Care in the University Medical Centre Nijmegen, patients are treated for a variety of complex pathologies. A detailed dental and/or physiotherapeutic investigation is followed, when necessary, by treatment. Exercise therapy with TheraBite is one of the treatment options.
TheraBite is in fact, very much utilized at CBT by patients who suffer from limitations in mandibular opening following cancer or osteotomy. The experience with TheraBite is very good, especially because the patients can exercise in an autonomous way."
Dr Allali André, Speech Language Pathologist, University Lecturer, Paris, France
"The significance of the TheraBite system no longer needs to be proven in the rehabilitation of various afflictions comprising mandibular hypomobility. Naturally, it is possible to improvise any number of aids or tools to help our patients. However, for several years I have noted the efficacy of the TheraBite concept and process in patients suffering from trismus following radiotherapy or systemic scleroderma."
Prof P Daelemans, Chief, Department of Stomatology and Maxillofacial Surgery, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
"A severe reduction in mouth opening can constitute a vital danger to patients, e.g. risk of choking in the event of vomiting and the impossibility for an anesthesiologist to intubate patients without fibroscope in case of an emergency. The primary causes are known. For example, one should take into account trismus preceding hematoma in conjunction with simple local anesthesia procedures on the spina mandibulae. Early treatment using TheraBite permits patients to overcome trismus. The interest for this apparatus also lies in the fact that rehabilitation of mandibular opening can still follow a physiologically correct pathway even if the obstacle exists only on one side.
Dr Cyrille Voisin, MD, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (under Dr Legrand), CHU Ambroise Paré, Mons, Belgium
"Recent animal studies have shown that repetitive passive mobilization had anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties on temporomandibular articulations, in particular by decreasing the production of intra-articular free radicals, by decreasing the intra-articular release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such IL1, by increasing the synthesis of protéoglycans, and by increasing the lubrication of the synovial liquid. The use of TheraBite precisely mobilizes the mandible in a passive way while respecting the physiological trajectory of the oral opening (Posselt's diagram). A study including 62 patients, 32 of whom used TheraBite, that began in the CHU Saint Pierre, Brussels under the direction of Pr Van Reck, showed a clear improvement in terms of pain and limitation of the mouth opening. Under the direction of Dr. Legrand, this study will be continued in the Ambroise Paré hospital to have an even more important pool of patients and to widen, if necessary, the sphere of activity of TheraBite to patients suffering from ATM pain, and not necessarily having an associated limitation of oral opening."
JM Dijkstra, Clinical Speech Therapist, Department of Speech Therapy, Leeuwarden Medical Center, the Netherlands
"I have a patient with a mandibular opening (trismus) problem who experiences difficulties in eating and speaking. The trismus was a consequence of the ablation of a tumor in the head and neck area. After 9 months of speech therapy sessions, twice per day, the patient was able to open the mouth properly. The trismus, which was certainly present, was almost completely annihilated thanks to using TheraBite. The final result is a mandibular amplitude of 40 mm. Nevertheless, the patient must continue the exercises with TheraBite, but on a less frequent basis, to avoid relapse."
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The TheraBite System