27^th Euro Dentistry Congress

Objective: To evaluate speech impairment due to the placement of fixed labial orthodontic appliances

Material and methods: This experimental study was conducted at orthodontic Department of Children Hospital and ICH Lahore. Data was collected from patients coming to Orthodontic Department of Children Hospital Lahore. 26 patients were taken through convenient sampling technique. Patients were selected for treating with Labial orthodontic appliance using GTPI (the Grainger’s Treatment Priority Index) scale. Data is collected with the help of demographic sheet, a specifically designed questionnaire which includes five question items, and two groups of phonemes from IPA-Chart. A set of consonant and certain bilabial sounds, which are directly or indirectly influenced by placing labial appliance, were selected. Patients were asked to pronounce the sounds and speech samples were recorded in the form of a video prior to as well as immediately after placing the appliance.Patients were recalled 2 weeks later and speech sample was recorded. Patient was recalled 1 month after last appointment and speech sample was recorded again. Dental/skeletal variables were correlated with the ability to accommodate the presence of the appliances

Results: Appliance effects were variable: 11% of the subjects were unaffected, 83% were

temporarily affected but adapted within 1 months, and 34% of patients showed persistent sound

errors at 1 months. Maladaptation to appliances was correlated to severity of malocclusion as determined by GTPI. Labio-dental sounds, most notably /f/, were affected most often.

Conclusions: Insertion of fixed labial appliances has adverse effect on speech sound production. Labio-dental and bilabial sounds are most compromised among all the IPA-Chart sound groups, with /f/ being affected most often. Accommodation to fixed appliances depends on the severity of malocclusion.