Prosthetic Rehabilitation Following Subtotal Maxillectomy: A Case Report

Surgical resection of maxillary malignancies often results in significant functional and aesthetic morbidity, substantially affecting patients’ quality of life. Depending on the extent and localization of the resection, patients may experience severe impairments, including speech disorders, nasal regurgitation, compromised mastication, and facial asymmetry. Maxillofacial obturator prostheses represent a predictable and minimally invasive approach for the rehabilitation of such defects, aiming to restore oro-nasal separation and improve essential oral functions. This case report describes the prosthetic management of a 55-year-old female patient who underwent subtotal maxillectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the maxilla. A subtotal obturator prosthesis was fabricated to restore oral function, facial aesthetics, and speech intelligibility. Clinical follow-up demonstrated significant functional improvement and high patient satisfaction. The aim of this paper is to describe, through this clinical case, the decision-making criteria and the prosthetic fabrication steps of a subtotal obturator prosthesis following subtotal maxillectomy that also involves the anterior part of the maxilla.