Palatal obturator restoration of a patient with partial maxillectomy

Abstract

Patients who undergo partial maxillectomy for cancer, mainly of the maxillary sinus or the palate, are vulnerable to passage of food or liquids into the sinus and nasal cavity due to the defect in the hard and soft palate. Also, these patients produce hypernasal sounds during speech because of air leakage into the nasal cavity. A palatal obturator is one of the most commonly used maxillo-facial prosthesis for rehabilitation of maxillary defects, and it separates the nasal cavity from the oral cavity, enabling mastication and deglutition, and it not only improves speech by preventing air leakage but also enhances facial esthetics. In this case report, a palatal obturator was applied to a patient who underwent partial maxillectomy for adenoid cystic carcinoma, and it showed favorable results in terms of rehabilitation of the defect and improvement of mastication, deglutition, speech, and esthetics.