Prosthetic Rehabilitation of a Patient with a Cleft Lip and Palate Using an Obturator Prosthesis: A Case Report

Öz

Cleft lip and palate are congenital malformations that arise from disruptions in the embryonic development of the craniofacial complex, resulting in the nasal and palatal processes failing to fuse. An obturator prosthesis is a specialized maxillofacial prosthetic device designed to close congenital or acquired defects in the hard and/or soft palate. In the case, a 50-year-old patient with a maxillary defect related to a cleft lip and palate, who had previously undergone unsuccessful surgical treatment, was successfully rehabilitated using a fixed prosthesis-supported obturator. After six months, there was a significant improvement in aesthetics, function, and speech, and leakage into the defect was eliminated. This case demonstrates that prosthetic rehabilitation can be an effective alternative when surgery is not feasible.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Cleft lip and palate
• maxillary defect
• obturator prosthesis

Dudak Damak Yarıklı Bir Hastanın Obturatör Protez Kullanılarak Protetik Rehabilitasyonu: Olgu Sunumu

Öz

Dudak damak yarıkları, kraniyofasiyal kompleksin embriyonik gelişimindeki aksaklıklardan kaynaklanan ve nazal ve palatinal çıkıntıların kaynaşmamasına neden olan konjenital malformasyonlardır. Obturatör protez, sert ve/veya yumuşak damaktaki konjenital veya edinilmiş defektleri kapatmak için tasarlanmış özel bir maksillofasiyal protez çeşididir. Bir vakada, daha önce başarısız bir cerrahi tedavi geçirmiş, dudak damak yarığına bağlı maksiller defekti olan 50 yaşında bir hasta, sabit protez destekli bir obturatör kullanılarak başarıyla rehabilite edilmiştir. Altı ay sonra, estetik, fonksiyon ve konuşmada önemli bir iyileşme görülmüş ve defekte sızıntı ortadan kaldırılmıştır. Bu vaka, cerrahi müdahalenin mümkün olmadığı durumlarda protetik rehabilitasyonun etkili bir alternatif olabileceğini göstermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Dudak damak yarıkları
• maksiller defekt
• obturatör protez

Kaynakça

1. Saverio C, Antonio B, Hao H Z, et al. Definitive palatal obturator applications: A systematic literature review. Prosthesis. 2025. doi:10.3390/prosthesis7050112
2. Ali MM, Khalifa N, Alhajj MN. Quality of life and problems associated with obturators of patients with maxillectomies. Head Face Med. 2018 Jan 5;14(1):2. doi:10.1186/s13005-017-0160-2
3. Ohno T, Hojo K, Fujishima I. Soft obturator prosthesis for postoperative soft palate carcinoma: A clinical report. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. 2018;119(5):845-847.
4. Mishra N, Chand P, Singh R D. Two-Piece Denture-Obturator Prosthesis for a Patient with Severe Trismus: A New Approach. J Indian Prosthodont Soc. 2010;10:246–248. doi:10.1007/s13191-011-0042-4
5. Kornblith AB, Zlotolow IM, Gooen J, et al. Quality of life of maxillectomy patients using an obturator prosthesis. Head Neck. 1996;18(4):323-34.
6. Chen C, Ren W, Gao L, et al. Function of obturator prosthesis after maxillectomy and prosthetic obturator rehabilitation. Braz J Otorhinolaryngol. 2016; 82(2):177-183.
7. Goyal S, Gopi A, Kumar C, Jain H. Palatal obturator – A case report. University J Dent Scie. 2024;10(1):63-66.
8. Sampat SC, Raje SS, Nadgere JB, Iyer J, Terni PM. Bridging the gap between immediate surgical and definitive oral rehabilitation with interim obturators: A case report. Cureus. 2025;17(2):e79103. doi:10.7759/cureus.79103

9. Saadellaoui I, Bekri S, Labidi A, Yaala MB, Mabrouk Y, Mansour L. Combination of CAD/CAM technologies and conventional processing in the fabrication of a maxillary obturator prosthesis: a clinical report. J Med Life. 2024;17(3):375-380. doi:10.25122/jml-2024-0017
10. Corsalini M, Barile G, Catapano S, et al. Obturator Prosthesis Rehabilitation after Maxillectomy: Functional and Aesthetical Analysis in 25 Patients. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23):12524. doi:10.3390/ijerph182312524