Clinical Background
The Ora-Light® System has been formulated after many years of clinical experience.
The Ora-Light ® System of oral motor exercise tools is a major step forward for the Speech Language Therapist/Pathologist providing a set of practical tools for the successful treatment of patients with speech and swallow disorders.
- Jack Light DDS, MSD, a maxillofacial prosthodontist, who has treated patients with oral motor deficits resulting in speech and swallowing disorders for the past 30 years, invented the Ora-Light Oral Motor Exercise System.
- Working with Speech & Language Therapists/ Pathologists he has incorporated clinical experiences and observational data to design an oral motor exercise system to strengthen the oral musculature for the improvement in speech and swallowing.
- The new Ora-Light system consists of oral prosthetic treatment tools.
- These hand held tools have forms and texture incorporated to provide tactile propriocepture feedback for sensory-motor stimulation to improve the lips, front tongue and back tongue therapy. The system also exercises the musculature of the cheeks, soft palate and pharynx.
- The goal of the oral motor exercise system using a physiotherapeutic exercise protocol is to strengthen the underlying musculature and neuromotor co-ordination and competency for speech and swallowing.
- The Ora-Light Exercise System and regime enables the patient to carry out consistent and repetitive exercises (drill).
- Ora-Light should be introduced in clinical treatment sessions, and enables the therapy regime to continue in the patient's home.
- Using the Ora-Light system will help to provide repetition of the corrected pattern and achieve automatic execution of the skilled task.
- With each oral motor problem and diagnosis Ora-Light can be used according to the specific needs of the patient. Although a suggested exercise protocol is provided with the Ora-Light system the Speech Language Therapist can prescribe a customized exercise regime for each patient.
Clinical References
The following papers will provide useful for background information on the concepts of oral motor exercise techniques with oral motor exercise tools.
- Prosthetic Functional Therapy: A new method for rehabilitation of the orally handicap pedpatient.
- Jack Light DOS, MSD. Archives Otolaryngology, Vol 104, August 1978, pages 442-445
- A Review of Oral and Oropharyngeal Prosthesis to facilitate Speech and Swallowing.
- Jack Light. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Vol 4, No 3, pages 15-21, August 1995
- Functional Assessment Testing for Maxillofacial Prosthesis.
- Jack Light, DDS, MSD, MPH. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, Vol 77, No. 4, pages 358-393, April 1997.
- The Dental Prosthesis used for Intra-oral Muscle Therapy in the Rehabilitation of the Stroke Patient.
- Jack Light, DDS, MSD, MPH. Sandra Beer Edelman, DDS, Augusta Alba, MD. New York State Dental Journal, pages 22-27, May 2001
- Sensory / Motor Therapy for the Treatment of Oral Dyskinesia.
- Jack Light, DDS, MSD, MPH. International Journal of Orofacial Myology, Vol 21, pages 23-28, 1995.
