Oral Mechanism Examination Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from lecture notes on Oral Mechanism Examination and related speech assessment procedures.

Orofacial Examination

An assessment to identify or rule out structural or functional factors related to communication disorders and dysphagia.

Dysphagia

Difficulty or discomfort in swallowing.

Infection Control Policies

Guidelines and procedures followed by facilities to prevent the spread of infection.

Gingivae

The gums, the tissue surrounding the base of the teeth.

Hard Palate

The bony front part of the roof of the mouth.

Soft Palate

The muscular back part of the roof of the mouth.

Uvula

The fleshy protuberance hanging at the back of the soft palate.

Lingual Frenum

A small fold of tissue connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth.

Vestibule

The space between the lips or cheeks and the teeth.

Ptosis

Drooping of the upper eyelid.

Labial Seal

The ability to close the lips completely.

Facial Asymmetry

A noticeable difference in the appearance or movement of the left and right sides of the face.

Olfactory Nerve (CN I)

Cranial nerve responsible for the sense of smell.

Optic Nerve (CN II)

Cranial nerve responsible for visual acuity.

Oculomotor Nerve (CN III)

Cranial nerve responsible for eyelid opening, eye movement, and constricting the pupil.

Trigeminal Nerve (CN V)

Cranial nerve responsible for facial sensation and the blink reflex.

Facial Nerve (CN VII)

Cranial nerve responsible for smiling, blowing out cheeks, and eyelid closing.

Auditory (Vestibulocochlear) Nerve (CN VIII)

Cranial nerve responsible for hearing and balance.

Glossopharyngeal Nerve (CN IX)

Cranial nerve responsible for swallowing and taste on the posterior third of the tongue.

Vagus Nerve (CN X)

Cranial nerve responsible for gagging, swallowing, and uvula movement.

Hypoglossal Nerve (CN XII)

Cranial nerve responsible for tongue movement.

Mandible

The lower jaw bone.

Groping

Searching, trial-and-error movements, often indicating motor planning difficulties in speech.

Paresis

Partial paralysis or muscular weakness.

Submucosal Cleft

A congenital defect where soft palate tissues are not fused correctly under the mucous membrane.

Palatal Fistula

An abnormal opening in the palate.

Fasciculation

Small, involuntary muscle twitching visible under the skin.

Larynx

The voice box, containing the vocal folds.

Inhalatory Stridor

A high-pitched, harsh sound produced during inhalation, indicating an upper airway obstruction.

Tethered Oral Tissues (TOT)

Restricted movement of oral tissues (tongue, lip, or buccal region) due to overly short or tight frena.

Lingual Tether

Restricted tongue movement due to a short or tight lingual frenum (tongue tie).

Resonance

The quality of the voice produced from the vibration of air in the pharynx, oral, and nasal cavities.

Occlusion

The way the upper and lower teeth meet when the mouth is closed.

Angle's Classification

A system for classifying the relationship of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches.

Class I Occlusion

Normal interarch relationship where the maxillary first molar mesiofacial cusp occludes with the mesiofacial developmental groove of the mandibular first molar.

Class II Occlusion (Retrognathic)

A posterior positioning of the mandible relative to the maxilla.

Class III Occlusion (Prognathic)

An anterior positioning of the mandible relative to the maxilla.

Dentition

The natural teeth in the dental arch.

Hyponasal (Denasal) Speech

Speech that lacks normal nasal resonance, often sounding 'stuffed up'.

Velopharyngeal Insufficiency

A structural defect that prevents complete closure of the velopharyngeal port.

Velopharyngeal Incompetence

A functional inability of the velopharyngeal mechanism to close completely.

Nasal Emission

The inappropriate release of air through the nose during speech, often audible.

Dysarthria

A motor speech disorder resulting from neurological injury, affecting articulation.

Hypernasality

Too much nasal resonance in speech, often due to inadequate velopharyngeal closure.

Aphasia

A language disorder caused by brain damage, affecting speech, understanding, reading, and/or writing.

Breathy Voice Quality

Voice quality characterized by excessive airflow through the vocal folds during phonation.

Harsh Voice Quality

Voice quality characterized by a strained, rough, or scratchy sound.

Diplophonia

The production of two distinct pitches simultaneously during phonation.

Alternating Motion Rates (AMR)

Rapid repetitions of a single syllable (e.g., /pʌpʌpʌ/), used to assess articulatory precision and rate.

Sequential Motion Rates (SMR)

Rapid repetitions of a sequence of syllables (e.g., /pʌtʌkʌ/), used to assess articulatory sequencing, precision, and rate.

Imprecise Consonants

Consonants produced without adequate articulatory precision, leading to indistinct speech.

Connected Speech Sample

An assessment where a patient reads a passage or speaks spontaneously to evaluate overall speech characteristics.

Monoloudness

A lack of normal variation in vocal loudness durante speech.

Involuntary Inhalation/Exhalation

Uncontrolled or unintentional breathing patterns during speech.

Excess and Equal Stress

Applying excessive and uniform stress to all syllables or words, making speech sound unnatural or robotic.