Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: velopharyngeal insufficiency: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: velopharyngeal insufficiency

Sample item

A 6-year-old whose cleft palate was repaired at 12 months has hypernasal speech and nasal air escape. Nasendoscopy shows incomplete velopharyngeal closure during speech, and speech therapy has failed. Which operation is appropriate?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Pharyngeal flap

Persistent velopharyngeal insufficiency after therapy is treated by a pharyngeal flap or sphincter pharyngoplasty, which narrows the passage between the pharynx and soft palate.

Option by option

  • A. Alveolar bone graft

    An alveolar graft treats the bony cleft, not speech resonance.

  • B. Tonsillectomy

    Tonsillectomy does not close the gap and can make speech worse.

  • C. Tympanostomy tube insertion

    Tympanostomy tubes treat middle ear effusion, not nasal speech.

  • D. Pharyngeal flap (correct)

    Correct. A pharyngeal flap reduces the velopharyngeal gap.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is D, Pharyngeal flap. Persistent velopharyngeal insufficiency after therapy is treated by a pharyngeal flap or sphincter pharyngoplasty, which narrows the passage between the pharynx and soft palate.

Why is "Alveolar bone graft" not the answer?

An alveolar graft treats the bony cleft, not speech resonance.

Why is "Tonsillectomy" not the answer?

Tonsillectomy does not close the gap and can make speech worse.

Why is "Tympanostomy tube insertion" not the answer?

Tympanostomy tubes treat middle ear effusion, not nasal speech.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: velopharyngeal insufficiency in Dentistry. The correct option holds because: Correct. A pharyngeal flap reduces the velopharyngeal gap.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Oral and maxillofacial surgery and facial fractures: velopharyngeal insufficiency?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.