title: A custom-made sealing screw cap for a closed, hollow obturator.
abstract: This paper describes a closed, hollow obturator with a nondetachable screw cap to seal the access hole that also allows cleaning of the inside of the bulb. A small screw cap was fabricated from a cobalt-chromium alloy. This screw was screwed to the access hole prepared at the top of the hollow obturator and when removed allows the inside of the obturator to be cleaned through the access hole. At the end of the screw, a preformed cobalt-chromium wire was attached that works as the safety retention mechanism of the screw. This ensures the screw in not aspirated or swallowed if it becomes unscrewed and falls from the prosthesis during wear in the patient's mouth. This device enables the patient to clean the inside of the closed obturator at home.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occlusion and Removable Prosthodontics,Okayama University Hospital, Okayama, Japan. goro@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Goro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nishigawa
authors.forename: Yukinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Maruo
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oki
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minagi
mesh_terms: D001863:Bone Screws; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D003778:Dentures; D006801:Humans; D010158:Palatal Obturators