What is Maxillofacial Prosthodontics?

Insights into the complex field of Maxillofacial Prosthetics (MFP)

Maxillofacial prosthetics have been around for ages with examples dating back to the Egyptians and strides in the field during the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe. The subspecialty of MFP wasn’t solidified until the historical events of World War I and II that caused dramatic injuries of the head and neck region that skyrocketed the need for prosthetics that surgery could not address. Since this time there have been significant developments in the field, notably with the help of craniofacial and dental implant technologies. This has provided enhanced quality of care for patient’s suffering from intraoral and extraoral (inside and outside the mouth) defects.

What do Maxillofacial Prosthodontists do?

Maxillofacial prosthodontics is a subspecialty of prosthodontics. The 1-year fellowship (in addition to the 3 years of prosthodontic residency) is for training practitioners to treat patients with specialized needs of the head, neck, and dental regions due to either trauma, cancer, or congenital/developmental conditions. Examples of treatment may be found below:

• Pre and post radiation treatment: identifying high risk teeth and gums prior to radiation is crucial to preventing disease progress after radiation. Specialized treatment is often needed after radiation has been completed.
  • Fluoride trays
  • Radiation stents
  • Brachytherapy devices
• Pre and post-surgical treatment: designing and planning to restore missing structures due to surgical removal (typically due to tumor related conditions).
  • Obturators (surgical, interim, and definitive)
  • Mandibular resection devices (interim and definitive)
  • Speech therapy devices