Functional contouring of the palatal vault for improving speech with complete dentures.

A method for functionally modifying the contour of the palatal vault of maxillary complete dentures was described. This can be achieved at the trial stage of the denture construction and incorporated in the finished denture. Alternatively, the procedure can be accomplished at the time of insertion and the palatal vault modified with self-polymerizing acrylic resin. The immediate speech achieved by the modification is much more normal and eliminates the waiting and training period after denture insertion. Because the modification of the palatal vault is achieved by the functional contact of the tongue during articulation, the tongue does not have to adapt to the presence of the denture in order to achieve "normal speech." One of the advantages of the method is the ease with which it can be performed in a clinical setting and the minimal requirement of any extra material or equipment. Moreover, no special skills are needed to achieve successful results, which can be exceptionally gratifying.