Orofacial Harmonization versus Facial Deformities: A Literature Review

Abstract

In the current context, orofacial harmonization can serve as a complementary means to treat deformities, whether from an aesthetic or functional perspective. In this scope, the present study aims to evaluate the use of hyaluronic acid fillers and botulinum toxin in correcting facial defects. This study consists of a literature review based on the determination of the theme, using the databases PubMed, EBSCO, SciELO, and Google Scholar. The temporal delimitation was established from 2018 to the present. The MeSH descriptors used in the research were: "hyaluronic acid filler," "facial abnormalities," and "augmentation," adding respective descriptors for each topic (ocular, nasal, ear, and lip palate oral). Data were collected between March and April 2023. A final sample of eight articles was obtained, based on the inclusion criteria adopted, with the highest number of publications identified in 2021 (n=3; 37.5%). All the results were in English, predominantly from the PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Regarding the type of facial deformity, it was observed that cleft lip and palate and chin deformity were the majority of the studies analyzed. In terms of the type of orofacial harmonization approach, hyaluronic acid injection was the most used method. Therefore, it was concluded that orofacial harmonization can assist in the rehabilitation of patients with some facial deformity, whether congenital or acquired, thus being a viable treatment option for patients with facial deformities.