Oral Stereognosis in Children With Cleft Palate and Normal Children

There is an assumption that oral senses have important roles in development and production of speech sounds. The aim of this study was comparison of oral stereognosis ability and response time in two groups of children with cleft palate as well as normal children. The study population comprised 20 children with cleft palate, six to nine years old, after first surgery, with normal intelligence, and 40 normal children with normal IQ levels and no speech-language disorders. In this cross-sectional study, oral stereognosis was investigated by identification of objects with different shapes and surface alterations, when placed in the mouth and without visual aid. Thirteen pieces of 5 × 5 × 1 mm dimensions were used, affixed by dental floss to prevent swallowing. There was a significant difference between the oral stereognosis and response time (recognition time) of children with cleft palate and that of normal children (P < 0.05). Cleft of the palate area can significantly decrease the intraoral sensations, resulting in elongation of the diagnosis time.