Year: 2025 | Month: July-September | Volume: 10 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 64-70
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijshr.20250307
Rehabilitation of a Maxillary Defect Using a Cast Ball-Retained Hollow Obturator Supported by a Lone Standing Tooth: A Case Report
Shannon A. Mendes1, Meena Ajay Aras2, Vidya Chitre3, Praveen Rajagopal4
1Post Graduate student/Dept of Prosthodontics, Goa Dental College and Hospital, India
2Professor and Head/ Dept of Prosthodontics, Goa Dental College and Hospital, India
3Professor/ Dept of Prosthodontics/ Goa Dental College and Hospital, India
4Assistant Professor/ Dept of Prosthodontics/ Goa Dental College and Hospital, India
Corresponding Author: Dr. Shannon A. Mendes
ABSTRACT
Maxillectomy defects can result in oroantral communication which leads to significant difficulty in mastication and deglutition, impaired speech, and facial disfigurement. This case report describes the fabrication of a definitive hollow obturator supported by cast ball attachment on a lone standing tooth in an operated case of Hodgkins lymphoma of the maxillary sinus. A lone standing premolar was retained and used effectively as an abutment in this patient with compromised basal seat. The definitive obturator significantly enhanced the patient’s recovery by improving chewing efficiency, refining speech clarity, and boosting overall quality of life.
Keywords: maxillofacial prosthodontics, maxillary defects, Semi-Precision attachment, hollow bulb obturator, lost salt technique,