Prosthetic Rehabilitation with Use of Palatal Augmentation Prosthesis in Patients Affected by Functional Limitations of the Tongue

• Published in: Journal of International Dental & Medical Research Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 607 - 611
• Main Authors: Stefano, Di Carlo, Francesca, De Angelis, Matteo, Armida, Jamshir, Sara, Michele, Fabretti, Brauner, Edoardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Diyarbakir Ectodermal Dysplasia Group - Turkey 01.05.2019
• Subjects: Age; Chemotherapy; Dysphagia; Mastication; Oral cancer; Oral cavity; Oral hygiene; Pathology; Patients; Phonetics; Prostheses; Psychological aspects; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Radiation therapy; Rehabilitation; Self esteem; Speech; Surgery; Swallowing; Tongue
• ISSN: 1309-100X; 1309-100X

The use of this device experienced significant clinical improvements, evaluated also by two questionnaires: the first one, on general satisfaction with the PAP and specific satisfaction regarding comfort, mastication, phonetics, aesthetics, ease of cleaning and self-esteem and the second one, about the OHIP-14 items, referring to seven dimensions of impact; also phonetic tests for speech evaluation - with the help of a speech therapist - have been performed. In these patients, the most important problem to be solved is about nutrition, considering their particular therapeutic path and age no longer young, but do not underestimate all the other physical and psychosocial disabilities that affect their quality of life. [...]it is necessary to evaluate these patients both under the anatomical-functional and the psychological aspects. The purpose of this kind of prosthesis is to allow a swallowing easier in patients with dysphagia, as well as an improvement of the speech.6 These patients affected by dysphagia showed a lack of (or however greatly reduced) ability to properly conduct food within the oral cavity due to functional limitation of the tongue. [...]they were treated with PAP in order to restore (or at least improve) the functional capacity of the tongue during the swallowing phases. [...]a score ranging between "0" and "56" is calculated for each subject.