Congratulations on your new baby! We are proud to be a part of your reconstructive surgery team! We work very closely with Dr. Virender Singhal to provide your baby with this recommended appliance, and we will be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding its use and care. To that end, we hope that this information will be helpful.
Use
Unless advised otherwise, the obturator should be worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with the exception of the time spent cleaning it. Always wash your hands thoroughly prior to handling the obturator.
As every baby is different, you will quickly learn the most effective way to place and remove your baby’s obturator. To seat the appliance, it is often helpful to place the largest portion of the obturator in first and then rotate the smaller side into the mouth. Place your finger on the bottom, or flattest portion of the appliance (roof of the mouth) and apply firm pressure to make sure that it is completely seated. Because the appliance is made to cover the outside portions of the baby’s upper arches, there is typically no need for an adhesive to keep the appliance in the mouth. However, occasionally it is necessary, especially as your baby grows and before your child has his lip repair surgery. When needed, we recommend the use of Fixodent Free denture adhesive. Samples are available at our office.
To remove the appliance, simply slide your clean index finger along the cheek and push down on the outside ridge of the largest section of the obturator. This will cause it to come out of the cleft making removal simple.
Care
Your baby’s obturator should be removed and rinsed after EVERY FEEDING. Before removing the appliance, your hands should be washed thoroughly. The appliance should be cleaned once a day using denture cleanser and an extra soft bristle toothbrush. Soak the obturator up to 10 minutes (no longer) in a denture cleanser. DO NOT SOAK THE OBTURATOR OVERNIGHT IN THE CLEANSER! NEVER SCRUB the soft liner with the toothbrush. This will damage the special protective vinyl sealer on the surface of the soft liner. A gentle brushing will be adequate. You may remove and clean it more frequently if your baby is experiencing excess nasal discharge. Taking special care of this appliance will help to prevent painful infections in your baby’s mouth and nasal passages.
Please call us if you have questions or if you feel that the appliance is no longer fitting appropriately. We will be more than happy to help.