oralnasal

Oralnasal is a term used to describe anything relating to both the oral and nasal cavities. In medical literature, the more common form is oronasal, but oralnasal is sometimes used interchangeably to describe connections, communications, or processes involving both cavities. The oral cavity (mouth) and nasal cavity are separated by the palate, consisting of the hard palate anteriorly and the soft palate (velum) posteriorly, with the nasopharynx continuing above. During embryonic development, the palatal shelves fuse to separate the oral and nasal spaces; failure of fusion can result in an oronasal fistula or other cleft palate anomalies, creating a persistent oral-nasal communication.

Oronasal communications can cause symptoms such as nasal regurgitation of liquids, hypernasal or nasal-sounding speech, crusting, sneezing triggered by oral stimuli, and recurrent infections. They are evaluated by clinical exam, nasal endoscopy, and imaging such as CT or MRI in complex cases.

Management depends on the cause and may include surgical repair of fistulas or cleft palate, speech therapy, and treatment of infections. In dentistry and otolaryngology, recognizing an oronasal connection is important for proper prosthetic rehabilitation (such as obturators) and for optimizing airway and swallowing function.