The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry Varghese and Mathew

Quick and effective custom tray for a feeding obturator

Haeigin Tom Varghese, BDS, MDSa and Suja Mathew, BDS, MDSb

Pushpagiri College of Dental Sciences, Thiruvalla, Kerala, India

aSenior Lecturer, Department of Prosthodontics.bReader, Department of Prosthodontics.(J Prosthet Dent 2013;110:234-235)

1 Wax tray invested in quick setting plaster.

2 Acrylic resin custom tray.

Clefts of the lip and palate are the most common congenital craniofacial malformations in children.1 Sucking is impaired in infants born with clefts due to lack of negative pressure.2 Ex-cess air intake during feeding, requir-ing additional burping, chocking, and nasal regurgitation of food are other complications associated with clefts.3

A feeding obturator improves feeding and thereby contributing to weight gain and a thriving state of health, a prerequisite for surgical repair of the defects.1 The severity of the clefts var-ies so much that stock trays are not al-ways adequate for making the impres-

sion, and a custom tray is required. This article describes a simple and ef-fective technique for fabricating a cus-tom tray for the infant patient.

PROCEDURE

1. Cut a sheet of modeling wax (Hindustan Dental Products, Hy-derabad, India) to a shape that roughly approximates the patient’s maxillary arch, soften it in a warm water bath and adapt to the arch with finger pressure.

2. Chill the wax immediately in a cold water bath.

3. Invest the wax tray in quick setting plaster (Dentico; Neelkanth Healthcare Pvt Ltd, Rajasthan, India). After wax elimination, apply separat-ing medium (Acralyn-‘H’; Asian Ac-rylates, Mumbai, India) and pack the mold with autopolymerizing acrylic resin (Rapid Repair; Dentsply Intl, Milford, Del) and polymerize (Fig. 1).

4. Retrieve the tray, trim the excess acrylic resin and polish the borders. Evaluate the tray intraorally for nec-essary modifications. Incorporate a handle, if desired (Fig. 2).

5. Make the definitive impression with an elastomeric impression ma-

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Varghese and Mathew

terial (Aquasil Monophase; Dentsply Intl) and fabricate the definitive pros-thesis (Figs. 3, 4).

REFERENCES

1. Osuji OO. Preparation of feeding obtura-tors for infants with cleft lip and palate. J Clin Pediatr Dent 1995;19:211-4.

2. Jones JE, Henderson L, Avery DR. Use of a feeding obturator for infants with severe cleft lip and palate. Spec Care Dentist 1982;2:116-20.

3. Savion I, Huband ML. A feeding obturator for a preterm baby with Pierre Robin se-quence. J Prosthet Dent 2005;93:197-200.

Corresponding author:Dr Haeigin Tom VarghesePushpagiri College of Dental SciencesMedicity, Thiruvala, Kerala, 689107INDIAFax: +914692645282E-mail: drhaeigin@gmail.com

Copyright © 2013 by the Editorial Council for The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry.

3 Definitive impression.

4 Completed feeding obturator.

Correction

The article entitled, “Push-out bond strengths of different dental cements used to cement glass fiber posts,” by Jefferson Ricardo Pereira, DDS, MSc, PhD, Accácio Lins do Valle DDS, PhD, Janaina Salomon Ghizoni, DDS, MSc, PhD, Fábio César Lorenzoni, DDS, MSc, Marcelo Barbosa Ramos, DDS, MSc, and Marcus Vinícius dos Reis Só, DDS, MSc, PhD published in the August 2013 issue of the Journal, contained an error with respect to the spelling of the fifth author’s name. The author’s name, printed as Marcelo Ramos Barbosa, should have appeared as Marcelo Barbosa Ramos.