Surgical obturation using a gated prosthesis

A description is given for the fabrication of a stable, versatile surgical obturator prosthesis for the dentate patient. The wrought wire and acrylic resin prosthesis is based on the swinglock concept and allows for simple transition from wire-retained to removable obturation early in patient recovery. By using such a prosthesis, interim obturator fabrication may be delayed if the practitioner believes further healing to be desirable. In some patients, transition directly to definitive obturation may be considered.