Speech Aid Prostheses For Patients With Cleft and Other Craniofacial Birth Conditions

Normal speech production is a complex mechanism requiring the coordination of several organs of the oral cavity. The lip, hard and soft palates, and teeth all play a role in normal speech production. In cases of craniofacial birth conditions such as cleft lip and palate or ectodermal dysplasia, one or more of these areas may be compromised. Surgical correction is the most ideal means to provide normalcy but surgery may not always be appropriate or possible. In such cases, a speech aid prosthesis may serve as an interim or definitive way to normalize speech. This article describes the several options that may be employed toward this end.