Effect of Palatal Augmentation Prosthesis on Speech and Swallowing in Tongue Dysfunction : A Literature Review

Purpose: Palatal augmentation prosthesis (PAP) is used on patients with dysphagia and dysarthria. While several studies have evaluated the effects of PAP, evidence regarding the adaptation criteria, effects, and limitations of PAP are not well organized. This review aims to summarize its functions, limitations, and applications.
Procedure: To investigate the adaptation criteria, effects, and limitations of PAP, we searched the English language literature published in PubMed from its inception through April 20, 2022. The leading search terms included “palatal augmentation prosthesis.”
Main findings: The primary search used keywords that reflected 31 studies. Finally, nine cross-sectional studies and nine case reports were selected for full-text assessment after applying the inclusion criteria. Eleven studies described the efficacy of speech function: two for motility factors and nine for organic factors (with overlap). Thirteen studies described the effectiveness of swallowing function, four related to motility factors, and ten for organic factors (with overlap). Several studies have demonstrated that PAP effectively restores articulation and swallowing in patients with impaired tongue function after glossectomy for oropharyngeal cancer, sequelae of cranial nerve disease, or neuromuscular disease. However, few papers describe the scope of glossectomy and tongue movement restrictions, so it is impossible to describe the adaptation criteria, effects, and limitations. In this review, most case reports and cross-sectional studies did not provide information on the fabrication methods of PAP or the dentistsʼ experience. Thus, the effect of bias on palatal morphology in PAP patients remains unclear.
Conclusions: The number of patients with dysarthria and dysphagia is increasing worldwide, similar to what is already occurring in Japan. Therefore, additional high-quality studies on the effects of PAP are required.