Oral cancer is the second most common cancer in the world. Many patients, who have had cancer of the mouth and surrounding areas, may be rehabilitated using a prosthesis. Some individuals are also rehabilitated due to congenital disabilities or as a result of trauma from diseased tissue.
With regard to undiagnosed oral cancer, we consult with you to address suspicious oral lesions through the results of our biopsy slides. As part of this reconstructive process, we work closely with a pathologist and develop an interim prosthesis while we plan your new bite after you receive oral cancer treatments. If you have recently undergone head and neck surgery, you must undergo another screening before radiation therapy to assess the health of your jaw. Certain precautions must be adhered to when the jaw bone is radiated. There is an increased risk of bone cell death, a condition we call “osteonecrosis”. After these assessments and procedures, we fit a maxillofacial prosthesis. A prosthetic reconstructs the mandibular arch and improves oral function in terms of speech and chewing.
Maxillofacial prosthodontics is a specialised field of dentistry that aims to restore tissue and facial structures that have been damaged due to previous surgery, injury or defect at birth. It aims to repair and rejuvenate your cosmetic appearance, safeguards tissues of the mouth and is beneficial to your psyche.
A maxillofacial prosthesis must meet stringent requirements; it should be secure and fit into the socket easily. Additionally, a prosthetic for the face must be durable, clean, retain its colour, be resistant to the elements and not irritate adjacent tissues on the periphery.
Treatment is a multidisciplinary approach with maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, ENT specialists, oncologists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and other healthcare professionals. A prosthodontist is also one of the team members to help rehabilitate these individuals.
Some of the prostheses that are made and planned by the prosthodontist are; Maxillary obturators, Speech-aid prosthesis and Mandibular-resection prostheses. Other types of prostheses include artificial eyes and nose, as well as other facial prostheses. With the aid of dental implants, it is now possible to use a prosthesis that holds on more firmly onto the remaining oral structures.
