Pennsylvania Association of Dental Surgeons. [Volume: 2, Issue: 4, November, 1860, pp. 203-220]

212

THE DENTAL COSMOS.

pletely destroyed their internal structure, as well as a portion of the nasal
bone, to such an extent as to materially change the external shape of that
organ. The obturator, Fig. 4, constructed for this case, was of one piece,
and made to cover the hard palate completely, extending from the central
incisors to the posterior wall of the pharynx, and passing a short distance beyond the edges of the opening on each side. The plate was
made to press firmly against that portion of the soft palate which
remained, yet not so firm as to be the cause of irritation, the edges of
the plate being slightly bent downward for the same reason; the object
being to prevent the possibility of the soft parts being drawn above the
palate, which would afford a communication with the nares. The posteFIG. 3.
rior edge of the obturator was bent downward, at a right angle with the
rior edge of the obturator was bent downward, at a right angle with the
body of the plate, and curved so as to form with the posteror wall of the
pharynx an oval opening sufficiently large to permit the patient to breathe
freely through the nostrils. In the act of deglutition, the muscles would
contract and press against this portion of the plate, thereby cutting off the
communication with the nares. To this plate was attached three artificial
teeth-two lateral incisors and one molar-the whole being retained in
position by means of clasps around the teeth.
This obturator the patient has been wearing a little over two months,
and, like the former one, has proved successful, deglutition being restored,
and the speech considerably improved.