[Electromyographic evaluation of different types of obturators constructed after maxillary resections]

Our investigation included 6 patients who had undergone extensive surgery for eradication of neoplasms of the maxillae. Their surgical defects were similar and they had natural teeth on the unresected side. Two types of obturators were constructed for each patient, one being hollow-bulb and the other buccal flange. The hollow-bulb obturators had closed nasal sections extending as far superiorly as possible into the anterior and lateral aspects of the defect. Buccal flange obturators were constructed without closed hollow sections. Our study was designed to compare these obturators electromyographically. When the results were evaluated statistically, it was concluded that buccal flange obturators were superior to hollow-bulb obturators in stabilization and function.