Precision Attachment Retained Palatal Obturator in A Completely Edentulous Patient: A Case Report
K. Aravind1 and Ashish R. Jain2
1Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals,Saveetha University, Chennai, India.
2Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha University, Chennai, India.
Corresponding Author E-mail: dr.ashishjain_r@yahoo.com
Abstract: Maxillary defects can be rehabilitated with conventional simple obturator prosthesis. However, inadequate retention, stability and support may be associated with the use of an obturator. Rehabilitating a patient with a maxillary defect is a challenging problem to the prosthodontist. Precision attachments have been used to retain obturators for some time. The use of precision attachments in a dentate maxillectomy patient can yield significant functional improvement while maintaining the obturator’s aesthetic advantages. Hence, the design of the obturator should create an artificial barrier between the oral and nasal cavities and thereby restore the functional capabilities of speech, mastication and swallowing. In dentate patients, the obturator prostheses could be designed to use the available teeth and bearing tissue to achieve maximum retention and stability, whereas in completely edentulous patients the support is taken only from the remaining bone, it is of utmost importance to take care of what is remaining, while keeping in mind what is lost. This article describes prosthetic rehabilitation of a maxillary defect with obturator using precision attachment as an aid in the retention of the hollow bulb in a completely edentulous patient.
Keywords: Maxillary Defect; Obturator; Precision Attachment; Retention; Stability Back to TOC