Improvement of Speech Disturbance by Increasing the Occlusal Vertical Dimension and Correcting the Palatal Form

Patient: A 66-year-old male complained of speech disturbance and dysmasesis. The case was diagnosed as decreasing occlusal vertical dimension and an inappropriate form of the polished denture surface on the palatal side of the upper complete denture. The occlusal vertical dimension was increased in new dentures, and the palatal form was determined using a static palatogram. Discussion: The border movement of the mandible expanded on gothic arch tracing and the mandible position changed to the postero-inferio position compared with that before treatment as a result of the analysis of lateral cephalograms, due to the increase in occlusal vertical dimension. It was considered that speech disturbance was improved by correcting the palatal form. Conclusion: In the present clinical case, speech disturbance was improved by changing to an appropriate occlusal vertical dimension and correcting the palatal form. Furthermore, stomatognathic function was examined before and after new denture insertion and objective evaluations were achieved.