Dimensional change in maxillary prosthetic obturators.

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Prosthodontics
• Maxillofacial Rehabilitation

Background:

• Maxillectomy surgery necessitates obturator prostheses for oral function.
• Dimensional stability of obturator bases is critical for maintaining occlusal relationships and patient comfort.
• Changes in obturator dimensions can lead to poor fit and functional deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the dimensional stability of maxillary obturator bases.
• To compare dimensional changes among three different denture base resins.
• To identify resin materials that minimize positional changes between the base and teeth.

Main Methods:

• Maxillary obturator prostheses were fabricated using three distinct denture base resins.
• Dimensional changes were measured by assessing the positional variance between the obturator base and teeth.
• Percent change was calculated for each resin material.

Main Results:

• A light-polymerized denture base resin exhibited the lowest percentage of dimensional change.
• This material demonstrated superior stability in maintaining the relationship between the obturator base and teeth.
• Other resins showed greater dimensional instability.

Conclusions:

• Light-polymerized resins offer superior dimensional stability for maxillary obturator bases.
• Material selection is a key factor in optimizing the long-term performance of obturators.
• Using dimensionally stable materials can improve oral rehabilitation outcomes for maxillectomy patients.