PROSTHETIC REHABILITATION OF A MAXILLECTOMY PATIENT WITH A TITANIUM CLOSED HOLLOW BULB OBTURATOR USING LOST WAX BOLUS TECHNIQUE - A CASE REPORT

Maxillary intraoral defects due to surgical resection create an open link between the oral and nasal cavities causing difficulty in deglutition, speech, and an unaesthetic appearance . Maxillary obturator prosthesis is a more frequent treatment modality than surgical reconstruction for maxillectomy in patients suffering from oral cancer. The obturators often become heavy and hence are hollowed out in the defect portion to reduce its weight as a standard practice. This case report describes the prosthetic rehabilitation of a maxillectomy patient with a titanium cast hollow obturator using lost wax bolus technique.

A method of hollowing the obturator prosthesis and an overview on the pros and cons of the various materials used for hollowing

Prosthetic rehabilitation of a partial or total maxillectomy with an obturator is the most acceptable treatment option. The hollowing of the obturator prosthesis is beneficial as it reduces the stresses over the underlying and surrounding tissues. A simple technique of fabricating a hollow bulb obturator has been discussed in this article. At the step of the packing of a denture, the hollow wax pattern of the defect area is formed with modeling wax. This hollow wax pattern is filled with water and is allowed to freeze to form an ice block. This ice block is removed from the wax pattern and is interposed between two layers for heat-cured acrylic resin and is then cured. After processing the denture, the water is retrieved by making a small hole in denture base, which is packed after hollowing with a cold cure acrylic resin. A lightweight prosthesis with a uniform thickness was achieved with a readily available and easily retrievable material, i.e., ice.

Closed Hollow Bulb Obturator: Laboratory Procedures

Patients with maxillectomy face problems with speech, swallowing, chewing and appearance. These defects are prosthetically rehabilitated with obturators that prevent oronasal communication, restoring function and social reintegration. An obturator must be light-weight, tight, easy to make and low cost. This article describes a simplified technique for fabrication of an acrylic hollow bulb obturator in two pieces using single flask. The prosthesis is made entirely of heat cure acrylic resin. The two parts of the obturator are sealed with the self-curing resin.