Oral Rehabilitation With Palatal Obturator After Treatment of Complete Bilateral Cleft Lip and Palate

Cleft lip and palate require reparative surgeries, and even after these procedures, many patients continue to experience speech difficulties, especially due to velopharyngeal dysfunction, which may necessitate the use of prosthetic devices to complement rehabilitation. The aim of this case report is to describe the resolution of a case of velopharyngeal dysfunction following multiple corrective surgeries for a complete bilateral cleft lip and palate. A 36-year-old female patient sought care from the extension project "Prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with tissue loss in the head and neck region" at the School of Dentistry of UFMG, with the main complaint of phonetic difficulty. Clinical examination revealed that the previous prosthesis failed to provide proper sealing of the velopharyngeal region, allowing air leakage, which impaired the pronunciation of certain words. As a result, the speech-language pathologist referred the patient for further intervention. The authors conclude that the use of a palatal obturator prosthesis significantly contributed to improved word articulation, reinforcing the importance of complementary approaches in restoring phonetic function in adults.