Maxillofacial prosthetics
Prostheses for the face and jaw.
A maxillofacial prosthesis replaces part of the face, jaw or palate lost to cancer surgery, an injury or a condition present from birth. Dr. Abeda Parveen is a maxillofacial prosthodontist, and plans and fits these prostheses at Dental Artistry, Hatigaon Chariali.
Extra-oral prostheses: outside the mouth
An extra-oral prosthesis replaces a part of the face. The most common are:
- Artificial eye (ocular prosthesis)A thin shell made to fit the eye socket after an eye has been removed, shaped and painted to match the other eye. It is usually made in acrylic.
- Orbital prosthesisReplaces the eye together with the eyelids and the tissue around it, when surgery has removed more than the eye itself.
- Ear (auricular) prosthesisFor an ear lost to an injury or surgery, or one that did not form fully at birth.
- Nose (nasal) prosthesisReplaces part or all of the nose after surgery, most often for cancer, or after an injury.
- Facial prosthesisA larger piece that covers a defect of the cheek or the middle of the face.
Facial prostheses are usually made in medical-grade silicone, shaded to your skin tone. They are held with a skin adhesive, attached to a spectacle frame, or clipped onto small implants placed in the bone.
Intra-oral prostheses: inside the mouth
- ObturatorCloses an opening between the mouth and the nose after surgery on the upper jaw or the palate, to help with speaking, eating and drinking.
- Prostheses after lower-jaw surgerySupport chewing and help guide the remaining jaw into its position after part of the lower jaw has been removed.
- Speech aids and palatal prosthesesFor a cleft palate, or a palate that does not close properly when speaking.
How a prosthesis is made
Assessment
The area is examined and your medical history taken. Where you are under a surgeon or an oncologist, the plan is made with them, and before surgery if possible.
Impression or scan
An impression or a scan records the exact shape of the area, so the prosthesis fits closely.
Trial in wax
The prosthesis is first sculpted in wax and tried on. You see it and its shape is adjusted before anything is made in the final material.
Colour matching
The colour is matched to your skin, or to your other eye, in daylight.
Fitting and care
The finished prosthesis is fitted, and you are shown how to put it on, take it off and clean it.
Follow-up
Regular checks keep it fitting well. Silicone wears and fades with daily use, so a facial prosthesis is remade from time to time.
Who it is for
People who have lost part of the face, jaw or palate after surgery for head and neck cancer, after an accident or an injury, or who were born with a cleft palate or an ear that did not form fully.
The first visit is a consultation with Dr. Abeda Parveen, at ₹500. The cost of the prosthesis depends on its type, size and material, and is quoted after that assessment.
Questions, answered
Questions, answered.
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