Extraoral Retention of an Obturator Prosthesis

Abstract

In this study, a technique is described by which large obturators can be retained with an acrylic resin head plate. The technique entails attaching the prosthesis to an acrylic resin plate with a 2-mm-diameter wire and then attaching the plate to the patient's forehead with skin tape.

Prosthetic Treatment of Congenital Hard and Soft Palate Defects

“…Several materials and techniques have been described for fabricating a hollow obturator bulb (Aramany, 1978; Devlin and Barker, 1992; Martin et al, 1992). Treatment alternatives include the use of the magnetically retained, sectional hollow obturator as a prosthodontic solution (Devlin and Barker, 1992; Kanazava et al, 2000).…”

“…A sectional, magnetically retained hollow obturator prosthesis is beneficial to patients by permitting easy insertion and removal and minimizing weight (Sasaki et al, 1984; Mitchell et al, 1989; Devlin and Barker, 1992). After substantial ablative surgical procedures of the maxilla, extraoral retention can be used for stability and function of the obturator (Martin et al, 1992).…”

Interim Obturator Retained by an Extraoral Device: A Clinical Report

“…The prosthetic rehabilitation has been divided into three phases (surgical, interim, and definitive), all of which have the primary goal to restore and maintain oral function from the initial postoperative period through healing and organization of the wound 2 . After removal of the surgical obturator and placement of the interim prosthesis, patients must sometimes contend with a nonretentive prosthesis, which may affect the overall psychological attitude during the recovery period 1,4,9 …”

“…Patients with acquired surgical defects of the maxilla pose difficult prosthetic rehabilitation, especially if these defects are under the category of being anatomically unfavorable. 1 Acquired defects of the maxilla predispose the patient to hypernasal speech, fluid leakage into the nasal cavity, impaired mastication, and in some cases, cosmetic deformity. 2 The rehabilitation of the patient depends on the limits of the surgical defect and magnitude of the ablative procedures.…”

“…2 After removal of the surgical obturator and placement of the interim prosthesis, patients must sometimes contend with a nonretentive prosthesis, which may affect the overall psychological attitude during the recovery period. 1,4,9…”