Black Mustard Seeds as a Spacer for Hollow Obturator Fabrication
Department of Prosthodontics, Dental College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Corresponding Author: Pal D, Doctus Journal of Dentistry.
Abstract
Hollow obturators reduce prosthesis weight and improve retention in patients with maxillectomy defects, but conventional spacer techniques require materials and laboratory steps that are not always available. We describe a simple technique using packed black mustard seeds as a temporary spacer during the flasking stage, subsequently eliminated through a small access window that is sealed with autopolymerising resin. In eight consecutive cases the technique produced a uniform hollow chamber with a mean weight reduction of 32% against a solid control, with no seed residue detected on radiographic review. The materials cost is negligible and the method requires no equipment beyond routine laboratory armamentarium.
Keywords
Hollow Obturator; Maxillectomy; Prosthodontics; Spacer Technique; Weight Reduction; Low-Cost Technique
How to Cite
Pal D and Sen B. “Black Mustard Seeds as a Spacer for Hollow Obturator Fabrication”. Doctus Journal of Dentistry 1.1 (2026): 20-26.
Copyright and Licence
© 2026 Pal D. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.