Influence of tooth p roprioception on speech articulation

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Speech Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Dental prostheses are crucial for oral function and aesthetics.
• Speech production relies on precise oral motor movements and proprioceptive feedback.
• The impact of different denture types on speech sound articulation requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of wearing and not wearing dental prostheses on the articulation of the /S/ sound.
• To compare the speech production changes between complete denture and overdenture wearers.
• To explore the role of tooth proprioception in speech precision.

Main Methods:

• Acoustic analysis of /S/ pronunciation in patients with and without prostheses.
• Measurement of temporal parameters (e.g., duration) of /S/ sound production.
• Analysis of formant frequencies during /S/ articulation.
• Comparison of data between complete denture and overdenture groups.

Main Results:

• Patients exhibited increased /S/ pronunciation time and decreased formant frequency when not wearing prostheses.
• The magnitude of these changes was less pronounced in the overdenture group compared to the complete denture group.
• Speech movement precision for /S/ production was demonstrably affected by the absence of tooth proprioception.

Conclusions:

• The presence of dental prostheses, particularly overdentures, positively influences the temporal and acoustic characteristics of /S/ speech production.
• Tooth proprioception plays a significant role in maintaining speech precision.
• Findings suggest that denture design can impact speech intelligibility and patient satisfaction.