A pilot study comparing conventional and digital impression techniques for speech analysis using Hindi vowels in maxillectomy patients rehabilitated with an obturator.

Aim: Maxillectomy patients frequently have speech impairments resulting from the loss of the oral-nasal partition. Prosthodontic rehabilitation with an obturator helps restore speech intelligibility, with its success largely dependent on accurate impression recording of maxillary defects. This investigation evaluated the effectiveness of conventional versus digital impression techniques in the context of speech analysis, specifically using Hindi vowels, in maxillectomy patients rehabilitated with obturators.

Study setting and design: This research, designed as a quasi-experimental study, was undertaken at a tertiary care hospital.

Material and methods: The study included 20 patients needing obturators, assigned to two groups: one received prostheses fabricated with conventional impressions, and the other with digital techniques. Speech parameters, including fundamental frequency, formant frequencies (F1, F2, F3), intensity, jitter, shimmer, and maximum phonation duration (MPD), were analyzed using Praat software before and three months after rehabilitation. Hindi vowels aa /a:/, ii /i:/, and uu /u:/ were sustained at a controlled intensity. Swallowing efficiency was assessed via the water swallow test.

Statistical analysis used: The Wilcoxon Rank Sum test or exact test was used to compare the data, with a p-value < 0.05 considered significant.

Results: The most common maxillectomy defects were Brown class 2b. After three months, significant improvement in speech parameters and swallowing efficiency was seen in both groups of participants. However, no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) were found between the conventional and digital impression groups.

Conclusions: This novel study compared conventional and digital impressions for speech analysis using Hindi vowels in maxillectomy patients after rehabilitation with an obturator. Voice recording and acoustic analysis using Hindi vowels provide valuable insights into speech rehabilitation outcomes in maxillectomy patients. Both conventional and digital impression techniques effectively fabricate obturators, improving speech characteristics and intelligibility. Both methods can be used for maxillectomy patients, allowing flexibility in clinical practice.