Palatopharyngeal obturator prosthesis – A substitute for a dynamic separator: A technique

Abstract

The dynamic of velopharyngeal sphincter mechanism is a complex motor skill involving coordination of soft palate and posterior and lateral pharyngeal walls. At rest, the soft palate drapes downward so that the oropharynx and the nasopharynx open allowing for normal breathing. However, during deglutition and certain speech, sounds such as plosives require complete or nearly complete velopharyngeal closure, whereas during utterance of vowels, the port needs to be open at varying degrees. Defects in velopharyngeal mechanism lead to hypernasality and decreased intelligibility of speech. The aim of this article is to understand the technique used to rehabilitate a patient with velopharyngeal insufficiency using a palatopharyngeal obturator prosthesis connected via a metal velar connector to a maxillary complete denture, with nasal endoscopic and lateral cephalometric examinations done to evaluate the outcome.

Keywords

• lateral cephalometry
• metal velar connector
• nasal endoscopy
• palatopharyngeal obturator prosthesis
• speech assessment