Two-piece oral facial prothesis retained with magnets for a complex maxillary facial defect: A clinical report.

Total flap failure is a devastating complication in head and neck reconstruction. This clinical report describes the rehabilitation of an extensive maxillectomy defect communicating with the midface by using a 2-piece magnet-retained orofacial prosthesis fabricated in heat-processed acrylic resin. The innovative design and choice of material allowed early rehabilitation of a patient receiving palliative care at a resource-constrained tertiary care oncology center. Prosthetic treatment served to reduce the period of hospitalization and helped the patient to resocialize.

Oral and dental health status in patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced head and neck cancer.

OBJECTIVE: A prospective, longitudinal assessment of oral and dental health status was done from baseline until treatment completion in patients scheduled to receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) for locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC). STUDY DESIGN: One hundred fifty consecutive, treatment-naïve adult patients with biopsy-proven LAHNC scheduled to receive NACT were recruited. One hundred thirty-five patients completed all assessments at 3 designated time points: baseline (T0), midtreatment (T1), and posttreatment (T2). Variables assessed were: Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S) score; decayed, missing, or filled teeth (DMFT) score; mucositis grade; pain score; and grade of trismus. RESULTS: Median OHI-S scores showed a statistically significant increase (higher the score, poorer the oral hygiene) when the patients were evaluated from baseline to completion of NACT (T1 vs. T2; T0 vs. T2; P < .001), which indicated a decrease in oral health. There was no change in median DMFT score (P = .32), but a significant change was seen in all-grade mucositis over time (P < .001). Median pain scores and trismus grades decreased significantly (P < .001) over time. CONCLUSIONS: There was a decrease in oral health status without any change in dental health seen in patients undergoing NACT. Mucositis was initially noted as an aftermath of chemotherapy, which resolved with time.