2012 Volume 35 Issue 2 Pages 59-65
The purpose of this study was to describe a long-term observation of abutment teeth in patients with maxillary defects and rehabilitated with obturator prostheses. Forty-eight patients participated in this study. Maxillary defect classification, history of irradiation therapy and flap reconstruction, types of obturator design and weight, types of direct retainers and duration, and periodontal conditions were investigated retrospectively. The results showed that the majority of obturator wearers had a maxillary midline defect or unilateral defect in which their prosthesis used a wire clasp or magnetic attachment as a direct retainer near the defect side. The average duration of abutment teeth was five years and ten months, and periodontal conditions were favorable with a probing depth of less than 3 mm in most of the cases. While nine percent of the abutment teeth were extracted, in most of the cases the teeth spontaneously dropped out due to excessive loading over long-term usage and deteriorated periodontal conditions. The probing depth and weight of the obturator showed a significant positive relation. Alveolar bone around the abutment teeth was significantly highly absorbed in midline resection cases. This study suggested typical designs of obturator prostheses and prognosis for direct retainers. Further study is needed for indirect retainers and functional assessments.
