Objectives: The patient who has undergone glossectomy is suffering from swallowing, mastication and especially speech problems. Palatal augmentation prosthesis (PAP) is commonly used to rehabilitate such patients by reducing the free space between palate and floor of oral cavity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate speech ability by perceptional and objective methods and compare these results. Methods: PAP was applied to the glossectomy patient and the surface of the PAP opposing to resected tongue was modified using functional impression technique. The speech ability was then evaluated by a speech therapist, and speech intelligibility (SI) test and acoustic analysis using Formant 2. The data were compared without PAP and 7 days after delivery. Results: Perceptional evaluation by the speech therapist improved and SI test score changed 36.3 % to 55.3 % after PAP application. Range of Formant 2 between /i/ and /o/ increased from 666 Hz to 751 Hz. We previously reported that range of Formant 2 correlated with SI test score in maxillectomy patients. The results in glossectomy patient were consistent with our previous results in maxillectomy patients. Conclusion: These results suggest that the acoustic analysis could be used to evaluate the speech ability for glossectomy patients.

Back to the Prosthodontics Research Program
Back to the IADR/AADR/CADR 80th General Session (March 6-9, 2002)

Top Level Search