Surgical obturator to rehab patient with hemimaxillectomy-a case report

Abstract

Congenital malformation, trauma and surgical treatment of benign or malignant neoplasms create maxillary defects. The size and location of the defects play an important role about the degree of impairment and difficulty in prosthetic rehabilitation. Maxillectomy patients suffer from lack of support, retention, and stability of prosthesis. An obturator is a prosthesis used to close a palatal defect in a dentate or edentulous mouth. The surgical maxillary obturator prosthesis helps in the restoration of normal speech and eating habits of the patient. It also prevents the soft tissue collapse on the affected side. Thus, the facial symmetry will be preserved. It also helps to retain the space for future interim and definitive prostheses. Thus, it improves the mental well-being of the patient considerably. This clinical report describes the prosthetic rehabilitation of a maxillary defects with a surgical obturator which was given immediately following surgery.