title: Magnet-retained facial prosthesis combined with an implant-supported edentulous maxillary obturator: a case report.
abstract: The prosthetic rehabilitation of maxillofacial defects is especially challenging when the patient is edentulous. Although dental implants are used to enhance the retention and stability of both facial and maxillary prostheses, combining facial and maxillary prostheses is extremely difficult. This article describes the prosthetic treatment of an edentulous patient with a large maxillary and facial defect. After placing dental implants in the remaining maxilla, a maxillary obturator prosthesis supported by a milled bar attachment was fabricated. The facial prosthesis was retained by a magnetic attachment to the maxillary obturator prosthesis. As the obturator prosthesis was supported securely by this sturdy attachment, the facial prosthesis was stable during mastication and facial movement. The patient reported improvement in prosthesis retention and stability. Both the masticatory and the speech functions of the patient improved.
authors.affiliation: Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Japan. tetsu@kyu-dent.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tetsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Katsuyuki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Funaki
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D003758:Dental Implantation, Endosseous; D015921:Dental Implants; D017268:Dental Prosthesis Retention / Q000295:instrumentation; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery; D008447:Maxillofacial Prosthesis; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010158:Palatal Obturators
chemical_list: D015921:Dental Implants