Fabrication of maxillary complete prosthesis for a patient with microstomia: Report of a case

Microstomia signifies any significant decrease in the size of the oral aperture. The etiology might include disease، trauma، burns and surgical complications in the peri-oral areas. This article describes a practical method for the treatment of a maxillary-edentulous patient with severe microstomia. The patient was a 40-year-old woman who was completely edentulous in the maxilla، with severe microstomia. Due to reduced mouth opening، all the clinical procedures، from selection of a prefabricated tray for initial impression to designing the final prosthesis، are difficult and it is impossible to use a conventional impression tray and denture in such patients. Implant treatment was not possible for the patient because of financial problems; therefore، complete denture was the best choice. A sectional denture that can be worn and removed easily can be a treatment of choice for such patients. The primary impression in this patient was taken by a sectional tray and putty and wash. The special 2-sectional tray was fabricated for the patient. Then a 2-sectional denture was fabricated by ball attachment and finally was assembled in her mouth by palatal strap frame. In the first fallow-up of the patient after 1 year، she was satisfied with the esthetic and function of the denture، in addition to proper fit and stability of denture، without any traumatic injuries. Sectional dentures that are easily worn and removed can be successfully used for the treatment of patients with microstomia. Complete denture، Impression technique، Microstomia.