Prosthetic Treatment of Congenital Hard and Soft Palate Defects

Abstract

Obturator prostheses are used to improve mastication, speech, and swallowing by reestablishing oronasal separation and aesthetics in maxillary defect patients. A sectional and magnetically retained functional removable speech bulb prosthesis was planned to treat the congenitally cleft hard and soft palates of this patient. The obturator part, localized into lateral nasal undercuts covered with sound mucosa, was used to retain the complete denture. Two pieces of the prosthesis were joined together by a magnet in the mouth. A special hinge mechanism was added to join the complete denture and functional velopharyngeal parts of the prosthesis for the treatment of velopharyngeal inadequacy. Sufficient retention was obtained, and no major complications were seen in the patient's prosthesis in periodic controls. © Copyright 2012 American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association.