# Flexible Obturator With a Full Digital Workflow: A Proof-of-Concept Case Report

## TL;DR

A new digital workflow for creating flexible palatal obturators is introduced, offering a simpler and effective solution for patients with maxillary defects.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a fully digital workflow for designing and manufacturing self-retaining flexible palatal obturators using 3D printing.

## Key findings

- A 3D-printed flexible obturator was successfully designed and validated clinically.
- The digital workflow reduced the need for traditional impression-taking methods.
- The new obturator showed comparable function to conventional ones but with reduced weight.

## Abstract

Oral cancer treatment often results in maxillary defects that require prosthetic rehabilitation to restore function and aesthetics. Palatal obturators, particularly flexible silicone obturators, are commonly used but are difficult to design and fabricate in patients with post-radiation trismus or extensive defects.

This case report presents an innovative, fully digital workflow from design to manufacture of a self-retaining flexible palatal obturator.

Using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans and segmentation software, a three-dimensional (3D) model of the defect was created, which was then used to design a hollow obturator. The obturator was 3D-printed with flexible IBT (indirect bonding tray) resin (Formlabs, Somerville, MA).

The 3D-printed flexible obturator was clinically validated chairside. A qualitative assessment was performed by the patient and showed comparable functional results between the digital obturator and conventional obturator, with notable advantages in weight reduction.

This innovative protocol bypasses the traditional challenges of impression taking, offering a reproducible and accessible method for the prosthetic management of complex maxillary defects.