[A modified technique of obturator fabrication for cleft palate infants]

Cleft palate is a commonly observed congenital maxillofacial defect. The first problem to be faced is the interference of feeding. It is a hard challenge for both the parents and the dentist. A cleft palate infant is unable to produce negative pressure in the oral cavity, thus resulting in feeding difficulty. The maxillary obturator resolves feeding problem and induces better maxillary growth patterns before operation. The maxillary obturator should be applied as early as possible to avoid the post surgical problems. The material for traditional obturator is tough and often injures the soft tissue. In order not to interfere with the growth of the dental arch, the border of the obturator must be trimmed regularly, until the retention becomes insufficient. In this paper, a modified technique of obturator fabrication was presented. The new method uses silicone relining material instead of ortho resin, as the packing of the obturator. It has been applied to dozens of patients. After a long follow up and comparison with the traditional method, the advantages of the new design can be summarized as follows: (1) Silicone is softer and does not injure the soft tissue. (2) It does not require the trimming of the border of obturator. (3) It has better retention and comfort for the patients.