Acquired partial auricular defect rehabilitation aided by four-part mold technique and spectrophotometer

Patients with auricular defects benefit greatly by an ear prosthesis. However, during the fabrication of auricular prosthesis, difficulties can be faced in obtaining a satisfactory outcome, such as tearing of the prosthesis, fracture of the mold and poor color matching. An 18 year old male lost part of his left auricle in an assault and battery because of which the patient was suffering from adverse psychosocial impact. Surgical reconstruction was ruled out because of patient's desire and financial constraints. Partial auricular prosthesis using four part mold technique and spectrophotometer was fabricated leading to a desirable outcome. Four part mold technique prevented fracture of mold and made retrieval of prosthesis easier. Spectrophotometer reduced the duration of patient visit and the artistic skill required for colour matching in tral and error method.