Fabrication of palatal lift prosthesis for a patient with palatal defect / 대한치과보철학회지

This report is a case of 38-year old female patient who had a chief complaint about having pronounciation disorder after going under mass excision due to mucoepidermoid carcinoma. She was referred to department of prosthodontics, Yonsei university. Palatal lift prosthesis was fabricated which was then relined with tissue conditioner. Evaluations on phonetics and swallowing were done and improvements were shown. Tissue conditioner was replaced with heat polymerizing resin and the patient was satisfied with the results of treatment.

Fabrication of palatal lift prosthesis using thermoplastic resin for a patient with velopharyngeal insufficiency / 대한치과보철학회지

Recently, flexible removable prosthesis with thermoplastic resin clasp has increasingly become popular. In comparison with conventionally used acrylic resin, thermoplastic resin has lower flexural strength and elastic modulus. Thus, flexible removable prosthesis has low risk of fracture, so denture base can be made thin and light, increasing patient comfort. Also, it can passively sit at tooth undercut during rest, so abutment teeth need minimum or no preparation. In this case report, a 44 year old female patient with mild velopharyngeal insufficiency was treated with a palatal lift prosthesis made of polyester thermoplastic resin. Since the patient had no missing tooth and desired conservative treatment, the flexible removable prosthesis provided relatively satisfactory results.

Velopharyngeal Incompetence in Dysarthria：Pathogenesis, Evaluation and Treatment (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Dysarthric patients often present velopharyngeal incompetence (VPI), characterized nasalization articulation for hypernasali-ty, which seriously impaired their communication. Research of evaluation of VPI is mainly about cleft palate and postoperative, few about the dysarthria. Some approaches, such as physiologic approach to rehabilitation, have been used to correct hypernasality, and prosthesis, such as palatal lift prosthesis (PLP) and nasal speaking valve (NSV), are also proved effectively. PLP has been widely used for hypernasality oversea, but fewer in China.

Interim palatal lift prosthesis as a constituent of multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of velopharyngeal incompetence

The velopharynx is a tridimensional muscular valve located between the oral and nasal cavities, consisting of the lateral and posterior pharyngeal walls and the soft palate, and controls the passage of air. Velopharyngeal insufficiency may take place when the velopharyngeal valve is unable to perform its own closing, due to a lack of tissue or lack of proper movement. Treatment options include surgical correction, prosthetic rehabilitation, and speech therapy; though optimal results often require a multidisciplinary approach for the restoration of both anatomical and physiological defect. We report a case of 56 year old male patient presenting with hypernasal speech pattern and velopharyngeal insufficiency secondary to cleft palate which had been surgically corrected 18 years ago. The patient was treated with a combination of speech therapy and palatal lift prosthesis employing interim prostheses in various phases before the insertion of definitive appliance. This phase-wise treatment plan helped to improve patient's compliance and final outcome.