Phonetic Considerations in Prosthodontics

Speech is a very sophisticated autonomous and unconscious activity. Speech in matured man is a learned habitual neuromuscular pattern, which makes use of anatomical structures, designed primarily for respiration and deglutition. Because oro-dental morphological features also may influence an individual speech, the dentist should therefore recognize the possible role of prosthetic treatment on speech activity.Corrections of faulty speech is the primary task of the speech specialist, but the complexity of the voice producing mechanism implores the services of the allied health sciences successful treatment of defective speech usually requires close co-operation between the speech therapist and the practitioner in some branch of the medical or dental professions.