Maxillofacial prosthodontics and speech evaluation

Abstract

Maxillofacial prosthodontics is the art and science of anatomic, functional, or cosmetic reconstruction by means of non-living substitutes of those regions in the maxilla and mandible that are missing or defective because of surgical intervention, trauma, pathology, or developmental or congenital malformation. Patients suffer from functional impairments affecting such areas as speech, mastication and swallowing. Among them, speech is a great concern for the patients. In this manuscript, maxillofacial prosthodontics is described from the point of view of speech evaluation.