Abstract
Nasalance evaluation is often used for cleft lip and palate patients. Proper evaluation of nasalance is also necessary in maxillectomy patients, but there are some problems such as difficulty with speaking test sentences, or that the arch of the metal sound baffle does not fit the defect side. The purpose of this study was to evaluate maxillectomy patients’ speech by nasometric evaluation using monosyllable consonants as test stimuli. Seventeen patients participated in the test in which a silicon rubber impression material was used to fill the gap between the concaved face line and the arch of the metal sound baffle. The results showed significant differences in nasalance between the two conditions; that is, with and without an obturator. The results indicate the possibility of nasometric evaluation in maxillectomy patients using monosyllables as test stimuli.
