A Palatal Speech Bulb—A Case Study
1
Bristol Dental Hospital, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol BS1 2LY, UK
2
Bristol Dental School, Lower Maudlin Street, Bristol BS1 2LY, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Reports 2019, 2(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/reports2010005
Received: 4 January 2019 / Revised: 25 January 2019 / Accepted: 29 January 2019 / Published: 30 January 2019
Palatal defects of the oral cavity can be either congenital or acquired following trauma or surgical excision of malignant disease. Palatal defects can greatly affect function and subsequent quality of life. Rehabilitation using a removable obturator can be a preferable treatment option as it allows regular review post-surgery. This case study reports on the design and construction of a removable “speech bulb” obturator. A 50-year-old female patient presented complaining of nasal regurgitation and looseness of her current palatal obturator. She had previously undergone wide surgical excision of her soft palate under general anaesthesia due to adenoid cystic carcinoma. Treatment consisted of the provision of a new removable obturator, paying careful attention to the design of the “speech bulb” itself. The design of the “speech bulb” is crucial to optimise function, and the method of prosthesis fabrication is fully described. This case highlights the impact of obturator fit on a patient’s quality of life and will be of benefit to clinicians from many disciplines including dentists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) surgeons and speech and language therapists.
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Keywords:
prosthesis; obturator; rehabilitation; design; carcinoma
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MDPI and ACS Style
Hardwick, C.; Puryer, J. A Palatal Speech Bulb—A Case Study. Reports 2019, 2, 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/reports2010005
AMA Style
Hardwick C, Puryer J. A Palatal Speech Bulb—A Case Study. Reports. 2019; 2(1):5. https://doi.org/10.3390/reports2010005
Chicago/Turabian StyleHardwick, Constance; Puryer, James. 2019. "A Palatal Speech Bulb—A Case Study" Reports 2, no. 1: 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/reports2010005
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