Hi Colleen,

Amazing story and the valor of your husband! Please send my sincere appreciation to him for what he did for my country. From what I gathered, it seems that you are doing very well with your appliance. Attachments would no doubt will increase the retention of the prosthesis but they also can be a "double edged sword". Too much retention will put stress on the abutment teeth (holding teeth) and that will cause movement or mobility and that you do not want. This is especially on a lateral incisor where the root is small and has weaker bony support than say a molar. Your prosthodontist will be the best person to evaluate your case precisely. Regarding getting the obturator to be perfect as possible can be almost impossible in some cases. The appliance is surrounded by movable tissues so therefore you will always have some minor movements. Most of my patients have learned to deal with this nusience well. Sometimes trying to make something to be as perfect as possible may end up as a "wild goose chase". I can tell this from personal experience. On the hollow bulb, yes it can be made either without the top or the top with hollow space inside. DP