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Continuing Dental Education

Maxillofacial Prosthodontics

What is Maxillofacial Prosthesis?

Maxillofacial is a branch of dentistry that deals with rehabilitation of congenital and acquired defects of the head and neck region. It is considered as a subspecialty of prosthodontics.

Who is a Maxillofacial Prosthodontist?

Maxillofacial Prosthodontist is a part of any large medical team including Plastic surgeon, Surgical Oncologist etc., and is involved not only diagnostic examination, restoration and maintenance of oral function, comfort and esthetics but also is involved in rehabilitation of acquired and developmental defects through prosthetic repair.

Is Maxillofacial Prosthodontics a substitute for plastic surgery?

No, Maxillofacial prosthetic treatment is not a substitute for plastic and reconstructive surgery. But it may be an alternative in certain circumstances.

Who are the candidates for Maxillofacial Prosthetic treatment?

Patients who are not good candidates for plastic surgery because of their advanced age, poor health, very large deformity or poor blood supply to irradiated tissue, when fragments of facial bone are severely displaced in a fracture.

In which cases are Maxillofacial prosthesis required?

A temporary prosthesis may cover a defect when plastic surgery repair requires many steps and speech appliances may be used when surgery is considered non-advantageous for closure of cleft palate. Surgically reconstructed sites may also require Maxillofacial prosthetic treatment.

What are the advantages of Maxillofacial prosthetic rehabilitation?

There are 3 main advantages

It requires little or no additional surgery.
It can decrease hospital stay.
Often results in more esthetically pleasing and less invasive than plastic surgery.

What is an obturator?

An obturator is prosthesis made of acrylic (plastic), sometimes lined by a soft-liner and is used to cover a large defect (hole) in the upper jaw of a patient.