Prosthodontic Rehabilitation of an Acquired Soft Palate Defect-A Case Report

Absence or loss of some or all of the soft palate results in insufficient anatomy or altered function by the remaining structures. Subsequently closure in between oropharynx and nasopharynx is inadequate during function. In this situation an obturator prosthesis is designed. A pharyngeal obturator prosthesis, which may also be called speech aid prosthesis, extends beyond the residual soft palate to create separation between the oropharynx and nasopharynx. It provides a fixed structure against which the pharyngeal muscles can function to affect palatopharyneal closure. Obturators constructed for patients with soft palate defects must function with peripheral tissues displaying considerable movement. In such cases, the obturator is attached to a conventional prosthesis. If the patient is dentulous, a removable partial denture framework retains the obturator which should be rigid. Therefore, it does not attempt to duplicate the movements of the soft pal-ate. It is a fixed platform of acrylic resin which provides surface contact for the remaining musculature of the velopharyngeal mechanism during function. In this case report, a simple technique for fabrication of a pharyngeal obturator in a patient with acquired soft palate defect has been described.