Removable Partial Prosthesis (RPP) with acrylic resin flange for the mandibular guidance therapy.

OBJECTIVES: Patients undergoing hemimandibulectomy suffer from mandibular deviation. The purpose of this article is to describe a new therapeutic possibility for the prosthetic management of these patients using only one device both for physiotherapy and eating. METHODS: A 56-year-old man's pre-existing mandibular removable partial prosthesis was modified to use as a partial prosthesis as a device to correct mandibular deviation. In fact, two precision attachments patrix were inserted into buccal surface of partial prosthesis base and corresponding matrix were inserted into a transparent acrylic resin guide-flange. RESULTS: In this way the patient can use only one prosthesis both for physiotherapy and eating simply inserting and removing the guide flange. The transparent resin employ is important for the day by day use. CONCLUSION: This technique permits to use only one device both for mechanical correction of mandibular deviation and masticatory function while literature shows that two different devices are usually used in patients with mandibular deviation to satisfy both these functions.

The patient with xerostomia: medical therapy, prosthetic therapy.

The condition of xerostomia has significant consequences on both the hard and the soft components of the oral cavity, and can compromise functionality. Furthermore, this clinical complication produces negative changes in eating habits, frequently causing the loss of several kilograms of body weight. This article aims to provide as complete as possible an overview of therapeutic possibilities. Alongside medical therapy, the article will report on an experimental treatment designed for patients who are scheduled for radiation therapy to an area including a major salivary gland (in particular the parotid gland). The treatment consists in autologous transplantation of a portion of glandular tissue to a site outside the irradiated area. Lastly, a particular method for prosthetic rehabilitation, the so-called "reservoir" denture, is presented. A complete denture is produced with conventional techniques but has a small container for artificial saliva. For mandibular dentures the container is sub-divided into 3 inter-communicating chambers and is situated in the lingual flange; for maxillary dentures, a single chamber is situated in the palatine concavity. In our opinion, the mandibular reservoir denture presented here has better characteristics than other devices that have been reported in the international literature.