IMPAKT OF THE VERTICAL DIMENSION OF OCCLUSION AND ARRANGEMENT OF TEETH ON SPEECH ARTICULATION (QUESTIONNAIRE STUDY)

• Main Author: Majed Hussein
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Peytchinski Publishing 2020-06-01
• Series: Journal of IMAB
• Subjects: vertical dimension of occlusion; arrangement of teeth; speech
• Online Access: https://www.journal-imab-bg.org/issues-2020/issue2/JofIMAB-2020-26-2p3198-3202.pdf
• ISSN: 1312-773X

Phonetic tests are one of the most important methods for the proper positioning of the teeth and identifying the vertical dimension of occlusion in denture fabrication. Purpose: Assessment of the level of awareness of dental practitioners and dental technicians regarding the impact of the vertical dimension of occlusion and the teeth arrangement on speech articulation. Material/Methods: 369 dental practitioners from 70 settlements (67 of which – towns and 3 – villages), and 84 dental technicians from 19 settlements (towns only) in Bulgaria were part of the research. The questionnaire study took 5 months (starting 2018). Results: The research results prove that speech function is influenced by both the vertical dimension of occlusion (opinion of 93.80 of the dental practitioners and 85.80 % of the dental technicians) and the arrangement of the artificial teeth (opinion of 94.80 of the dental practitioners and 91.70 % of the dental technicians). Conclusion:A high proportion of the inquired participants (over 90 %) admit the negative impact on the speech exerted by incorrect vertical dimension of occlusion and arrangement of teeth, and these are seen as a major factor for compromising the speech function.