[On open nasal speech following operative procedures in the oro- and nasopharynx. A combined speech and cephalometric analysis (author's transl)].

A combined speech and cephalometric analysis was performed on 60 patients with class III malocclusion to evaluate the interaction between the cranio-facial skeleton and the disorder of an open nasal speech. There was an increase of durable open nasal speech after tonsillectomy but not after adenoidectomy. This predisposition to open nasal speech in class III patients appeared to be increased by the formation of the surrounding bony structures. In dependency to the cranio-facial morphology in the vertical dimension, the configuration of the bony nasopharynx and the sagittal jaw relationship were of significant importance. The cephalometric measurements confirmed the results of the speech analysis that the position and function of the soft palate are of essential significance for the development of an open nasal speech.