2022 Volume 14 Issue 3 Pages 273-276
Patient: A 79-year-old woman visited our hospital for a tumor of the left alveolar gingiva that was diagnosed as stage IV squamous cell carcinoma (T4aN0M0) and underwent maxillofacial surgery, which included partial maxillectomy and partial thickness skin transplantation. An immediate surgical obturator (ISO) with full arch dentition was used. The ISO was adapted to the patient immediately after the surgery and used as a treatment denture. Using the ISO, the patient was able to ingest regular food, the same as taken before the surgery. A final prosthesis was installed at 8 months after surgery.
Discussion: The ISO reduced the period of lower oral dysfunction. Reconstructing the dentition of the prosthesis improved esthetics as well as masticatory function.
Conclusions: An ISO lessens the psychological burden of patients after surgery by improving quality of life and achieving early reintegration into society.
