Evaluation of speech in patients rehabilitated with various oral implant-supported prostheses

In the present study, speech function was assessed in edentulous patients w earing fixed or removable dental prostheses supported or not by oral implan ts. A total of 138 patients participated in the present research. The exper imental group (n=113) was divided in 4 subgroups. Subgroup FD/FFPi comprise d 22 patients with a maxillary full denture (=FD) and a mandibular fixed fu ll prosthesis on implants (=FFPi). Subgroup FFPi/ND consisted of 27 patient s with a maxillary fixed full prosthesis on implants and a natural dentitio n (=ND) in the mandible. Subgroup FD/ODi included 49 patients wearing a max illary full denture and a mandibular overdenture on 2 implants (=ODi). Subg roup FFPi/FFPi comprised 15 patients having a fixed full prosthesis on impl ants in both jaws. The outcome of the logopedic screening of the experiment al group was compared with that of a control group of subjects having a nat ural dentition (ND/ND; n=25). A standard clinical procedure for evaluation of speech was carried out by a speech pathologist. Besides, specific oral a nd prosthetic parameters were scored in all patients. It was established th at one or more pronunciation difficulties occurred in 84% of the patients o f the experimental group. This was significantly more than in the control g roup, where half the number of subjects had some speech deficiencies. No cl ear influence of specific oral and prosthetic parameters could be identifie d. From the present results, it could be concluded that in patients rehabil itated with oral implant-supported prostheses speech disorder is more frequ ently observed than in subjects with a natural dentition.