Naomi Tanoue, DDS, PhD,(a) Shuichi Mori, DT,(b) and Hideo Matsumura, DDS, PhD(c)
(a)Prosthodontics, General Dentsitry Department, (b)Dental Laboratory Center, Nagasaki University Hospital of Dentistry, and (c)Division of Fixed Prosthodontics and Oral Rehabilitation, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan
A sectional denture/prosthesis was fabricated for an edentulous patient with a nasal defect for the purpose of recovery of orofacial functions. The denture and the prosthesis were connected by a cobalt-samarium magnetic retainer (Hicorex Super) and an acrylic joint rod through an access hole under the nose. Although the hard plastic prosthesis component and the inflexible joint slightly affected the patient’s orofacial movement, color stability, fitting, and retention were satisfactory. The patient recovered the anatomic form of the nose wing, as well as mastication, respiration, and speech through use of the sectional denture/prosthesis.
(Int Chin J Dent 2002; 2: 86-91.)
Key Words: magnet, nasal prosthesis, sectional denture.