OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to evaluate the function of sound reproduction in patients with postoperative defects the upper jaw with and without a prosthesis replacing the defect.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 25 patients with an upper jaw defect acquired as a result of resection, aged 33 to 74 years. Among them are patients with various types of defects: a defect of only the alveolar process (3 patients, 12%), a defect of the alveolar process and half of the palatine process on the resection side (7 patients, 28%), a defect reaching the midline of the hard palate or a defect involving the tissues of the hard palate on both sides of the midline (12 patients, 48%), any defect involving soft palate tissues (3 patients, 12%). To replace the defect of the upper jaw, prostheses of various configurations were made for patients: a partial removable plate prosthesis with an obturator (13 (52%)), a complete removable upper jaw prosthesis with an obturator, including one collapsible complete removable prosthesis with an obturator (7(28%)), a clasp prosthesis with an obturator (5 (20%)).

RESULTS

It was revealed that the use of an upper jaw prosthesis with an obturator significantly improves speech recognition and reduces the number of speech defects in patients with acquired upper jaw defects. It was found that the presence of a patient with an upper jaw defect in the anamnesis of radiation therapy for an upper jaw tumor negatively affects the quality of sound reproduction. It was also revealed that the configuration of the postoperative defect is a predictor of the success of the patient’s speech rehabilitation using an upper jaw prosthesis with an obturator.