Abstract :
Maxillary defects may be due to trauma, congenital defects or secondary to surgical correction of benign and malignant tumours. Surgical management leads to loss of maxilla, soft palate and contiguous structures leading to a communication between the oral and nasal regions that causes difficulty in speech, deglutition, mastication, respiration and loss of facial support. The goal of rehabilitation is to bring about improvement in basic functions of mastication, deglutition, speech, esthetics thereby boosting the psychological status of the patient. An obturator acts as a framework over which tissues may be shaped by the surgeon, holds
the surgical dressing, serves as a temporary prosthesis during the period of surgical correction and helps to restore a patient’s cosmetic appearance soon after after surgery.
The basic principles of retention and stability are difficult to achieve due to increased weight of the prosthesis. Obturator is generally made in two parts i.e. the palatal portion and the hollow bulb .However in this case, a novel technique was utilized to fabricate the prosthesis in three parts i.e. the palatal portion, the hollow bulb and the hollow occlusal rim. Since there was sufficient volume in the area of occlusal rim, it was made hollow as well to further reduce the weight of the prosthesis. Using the method described, the stability and retention of the obturator were improved, speech intelligibility increased, and food and liquid
leakage to the nasal cavity were reduced.
Keyword :
Maxillectomy, Retention, Three piece hollow bulb obturator.