2003 Volume 7 Issue 1 Pages 34-40
Objective: In the past，patients with palatal lift prostheses (PLPs) suffered from oral discomfort．This problem is due to excessive pressure fixing the hard palatal bar to the soft palate．This causes many people to hesitate to use PLPs．We have designed a PLP with a mobile palatal bar to overcome this problem．
Construction: The New (Fujishima Type) PLP is functionally characterized by a mobile palatal bar that gently holds the soft palate upwards while speaking and is able to bend when swallowing．The contact surface of the mobile part to the mucous membrane is polished thoroughly and coated with nail polish for smoothness．
Cases: This new prosthetic design was applied to three stroke patients with weak or paralyzed oral musculature．Clinical testing revealed decreased nasal emission and hypernasality and improved speech articulation． The effectiveness was equivalent to conventional PLPs．Patients placed a high value on the new PLP with regard to oral comfort．After several months，patients recovered soft palate muscle activities．We therefore conjecture that the mobile part of the PLP might facilitate weak muscle activities．
Conclusion: We have designed a new PLP with mobile palatal bar for stroke patients with weak or paralyzed oral musculature．This PLP decreased nasal emission and hypernasality and relieved oral discomfort when swallowing．
