An alternative method for constructing an obturator prosthesis for a patient with a bilateral cleft lip and palate: a clinical report.
The design of esthetic and effective dental prostheses for bilateral cleft lip and palate patients is a challenge for prosthodontists because the prostheses must serve more than one purpose. The goals to be attained by prosthetic intervention are preventing food and liquid leakage into the nose, improving speech intelligibility, a more esthetic appearance, and achieving the general satisfaction of the patient. The framework design of the obturator prosthesis is of great strategic importance for patients with a cleft lip and palate. The reduction in the mass of the obturator prosthesis increases stabilization and retention and also contributes to an easier adaptation to the prosthetic restoration. In this report, a 22-year-old woman was successfully treated with a fixed partial denture and a bar-retained obturator with palatal coverage.


CONCLUSIONS
The design of an obturator prosthesis for cleft lip and palate patients is an important stage in terms of ensuring esthetic restoration and patient comfort. This article describes an esthetic and functional design for such a device using a fixed partial denture and a bar-retained obturator.
Department of Prosthodontics, University of Erciyes, Kayseri, Turkey. ondergumus@yahoo.com
Hasan Onder
HO
Gümüş
Süleyman Hakan
SH
Tuna
D002971:Cleft Lip / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002972:Cleft Palate / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017267:Dental Prosthesis Design; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003830:Denture, Partial, Fixed; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008437:Maxilla; D010158:Palatal Obturators; D011476:Prosthodontics / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult