Being able to clearly communicate is important. Unfortunately, for the 7.5 million people throughout the United States today who have trouble using their voices, communication can be difficult. If you are looking for ways to improve the quality of your child's speech, speech pathology or surgery might be the answer.
Here are three surgeries that can help children speak more clearly in the future.
1. Pharyngeal Flap Surgery
For some children, especially those who have already had corrective surgery for a cleft palate, too much air can escape through the nose during speech. The resulting effect is an extremely nasal tone, which many find unpleasant. This condition occurs when the tissue of the soft palate is too short, or it fails to move properly during speech.
Through a surgical procedure known as a pharyngeal flap surgery (or pharyngoplasty), a skilled surgeon can reposition the tissue of the soft palate so that it more fully prevents air from escaping through the nose during speech.
2. Lingual Frenectomy
The tongue plays a major role in determining how clearly your child speaks. Without proper range of motion, the tongue prevents a child from forming sounds correctly, severely limiting their ability to speak clearly. Through a surgical procedure known as a lingual frenectomy, the thin bit of tissue underneath the tongue is altered to allow the tongue to move more freely.
In addition to helping improve your child's speech, a lingual frenectomy can also provide the added benefit of allowing the tongue to rest against the soft palate in a more natural position when not in use. For children around the age of 6, when rapid growth occurs, improving the range of motion and positioning of the tongue through a lingual frenectomy can prevent orthodontic difficulties in the future.
3. Sphincter Pharyngoplasty
If a speech pathologist and physician determine that your child's speech problems don't originate from the soft palate, then a sphincter pharyngoplasty might be your best option. For some children, the throat doesn't move properly during speech. This makes it incredibly difficult for these children to articulate themselves clearly.
By moving some of the tissue from the back of the throat closer to the soft palate, a surgeon can help your child's throat function more normally. This should improve the quality of your child's speech in the future.
Giving your children every opportunity to succeed is an important aspect of parenthood. By opting to invest in a surgical procedure to help improve the quality of your child's speech, you can improve the quality of your child's life.
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