Prosthodontic Rehabilitation of Acquired Mandibular Defects

Surgical and prosthodontic rehabilitation of the mandibulectomy patient has the potential of being extremely gratifying to the clinician as well as making an enormous impact on the quality of life for the patient. At the same time, the complexities of dealing with the many factors involved in successful diagnosis and treatment planning of the patient with a mandibular defect make the final outcome of treatment difficult to predict and often less than completely satisfactory. Prosthodontic modifications to routine prosthodontic procedures can be accomplished to compensate for deficits that are not correctable with surgical reconstruction. Rehabilitation of the rudimentary functions of speech and swallowing should be paramount for all clinicians. Dentists should strive to maintain existing mandibular dentition because it will be important to retain prostheses that are necessary to support the lips and stabilize the mandible for swallowing. The introduction of predictable endosseous implants as adjuncts to traditional surgical and prosthodontic methods of treating such patients has changed the way their treatment is planned and executed.