[Prosthesis fitting after maxillectomy: an indispensable factor in acceptance and rehabilitation].

Surgical resection is often required for maxillary cancer, producing a communication between the oral cavity and the nose or paranasal sinuses. After maxillectomy, patients experience major dysfunction in speech and swallowing which have a very negative psychological effect. These problems can be overcome with an immediate prosthesis but to be fully successful, coordinated work is required between the surgeon and the maxillofacial prosthodontist before, during and after surgery. Ten days after surgery, an interim obturator is made with soft lining materials. This prosthesis will evolve as scar tissue forms, preparing space for the definitive obturator which will restore good quality of life for maxillectomy patients.