Definitive maxillary obturator prosthesis: Timelines for fabrication and follow‐up. (12th May 2020) - Ahmed, Zain Uddin
Abstract: Introduction: A definitive maxillary obturator prosthesis can be used to rehabilitate a maxillary defect with the aim of improving speech, deglutition, and elimination of oronasal regurgitation. The aims of this study were (1) to determine the time required to fabricate a definitive maxillary obturator prosthesis and (2) to compare the fabrication and follow‐up times between a patient's first and second definitive maxillary obturator prosthesis. Materials and methods: A retrospective review was completed of patients that had maxillary definitive obturators fabricated following head and neck surgery from 2002 to 2018 ( n = 173). Demographics, clinical data, date of surgery, start date of fabrication, follow‐up dates, and prosthesis follow‐up data were collected. Results: The median time to delivery of the patient's first definitive maxillary obturator prosthesis from the date of surgery was 7.7 months for nonradiated patients and 9.6 months for radiated patients ( P ≤ .05). Additionally, there was a significant difference in the median number of appointments to fabricate the 1st definitive maxillary obturator prosthesis as compared to the 2nd prosthesis (6 vs 5; P ≤ .05). Conclusion: Fabrication timelines differed based on history of radiotherapy and patient experience. This data is helpful to set expectations for patients and practitioners regarding the process for prosthesis fabrication and follow‐up.