Postglossectomy deglutitory and articulatory rehabilitation with palatal augmentation prostheses

For patients who may have significantly impaired deglutitory and articulatory functions after glossectomy, an important aspect of the rehabilitative management in our institution is the use of palatal augmentation prostheses. The aim is to reduce the free space between the roof and floor of the oral cavity to permit stronger lingual propulsion during oral deglutition and better linguopalatal contact during articulation. We evaluated ten patients who received this device after glossectomy during the past two years. Modified barium swallows and voice recordings were performed when possible with and without the use of the palatal augmentation prosthesis. Articulatory and deglutitory functions were evaluated on a scaled score ranging from 0 to 10 points. The scores of the patients' average immediate improvements were 4.5 points (range, 2 to 7) for articulation and 3.5 points (range, 2 to 7) for deglutition; the scores of average long-term improvements were 3.4 points (range, 2 to 7) and 2.2 points (range, 6 to 8), respectively. Patients using the palatal augmentation prosthesis experienced significant improvement in both functions. We believe that this device contributes greatly to rehabilitative therapy for patients who have undergone extirpative surgery for tumors of the oral cavity.