Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Acquired Defects of the Mandible

This book covers all basic to advance prosthetic management of mandibular acquired defects. Rehabilitation of mandibulectomy patients is a very important aspect because after surgical intervention they are left with multiple physiologic and cosmetic deficiencies, including the inability to masticate in an acceptable or efficient manner. Patients operated for malignant tumors of the mandible, present a far more difficult rehabilitation problem, than those patients with maxillary defects. Recently, advances in the reconstruction of such defects by means of micro vascular free flaps have allowed the maxillofacial prosthodontist to rehabilitate these patients more effectively. With proper multidisciplinary pretreatment planning and postoperative care, osseointegrated implants can be strategically placed in those patients with a reconstructed mandible to restore occlusal and masticatory function while also achieving an acceptable esthetic.