Management of a velopharyngeal defect with hollow speech bulb prosthesis

Abstract

Velopharyngeal (VP) insufficiency is an anatomic defect of the soft palate which renders the palatopharyngeal sphincter incomplete. In cases where a surgically repaired soft palate is too short to contact the pharyngeal walls during function, speech aid prosthesis or speech bulbs are optimum choices of treatment. This case report elaborates the correction of hypernasality of speech associated with VP insufficiency, by means of speech bulb prosthesis. This speech bulb is a combination of cast partial denture with extension into the defect area to hold heat cure acrylic material. This retentive component was embedded in heat cure acrylic resin material to aid in retention. This improved the hypernasality, speech, comfort, retention, and overall patient acceptance.