Rehabilitation of an edentulous cleft lip and palate patient with a soft palate defect using a bar-retained, implant-supported speech-aid prosthesis: a clinical report

Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2009 Jan;46(1):97-102. doi: 10.1597/07-216.1. Epub 2008 Apr 11.

Abstract

Prosthetic rehabilitation of an edentulous cleft lip and palate patient with a combined hard and soft palate defect is a great challenge, due to the lack of retention of the obturator prosthesis as a result of its weight and the inability to obtain a border seal. Dental implants improve the retention, stability, and occlusal function of prostheses when used in carefully selected cleft lip and palate cases. This clinical report presents an edentulous unilateral cleft lip and palate patient who has hard and soft palate defects and an atrophied maxilla, treated with an implant-supported speech-aid prosthesis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Alveolar Bone Loss / complications
  • Cleft Lip / complications
  • Cleft Palate / complications*
  • Dental Implantation, Endosseous
  • Dental Prosthesis Retention
  • Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported*
  • Denture, Overlay
  • Humans
  • Jaw, Edentulous / complications
  • Jaw, Edentulous / rehabilitation
  • Jaw, Edentulous / surgery
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Palatal Obturators*
  • Palate, Soft / physiopathology
  • Prosthesis Design
  • Speech Disorders / etiology
  • Speech Disorders / rehabilitation*
  • Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / etiology
  • Velopharyngeal Insufficiency / therapy*