Journal of Prosthodontics News
Navigating Challenges in Prosthodontic Rehabilitation After Long-Term Delay
Now online in the Journal of Prosthodontics, a clinical report on the experience of a maxillofacial surgical patient who delayed prosthodontic treatment for 7 years.
In this report, a 21-year-old female patient presented to the maxillofacial unit of a national Irish hospital with a large, painless, and slow-growing swelling located at the labial segment of the mandible. At the diagnostic work-up phase, an ossifying fibroma (a locally aggressive but benign neoplasm) was identified following incisional biopsy. Given the extensive nature of this late presentation, a surgical treatment plan was embarked upon, which included partial mandibulectomy, single-barrel vascularized osteocutaneous fibula free flap reconstruction, radial forearm skin graft, and dental implant placement.
A delayed referral to a prosthodontic service followed in 2018, 7 years after initial presentation, as the patient saved to afford prosthodontic care under a mixed public/subsidized-private funding model. Without the benefit of a restored opposing dentition for a prolonged period of time, maxillary occlusal plane disruption occurred. To manage the complexities arising from delayed presentation the prosthodontic team developed a highly tailored treatment plan to meet the patient's unique clinical needs, which included fabrication of customized healing abutments, an implant indexing device, and a definitive removable implant-tooth-supported occlusal overlay prosthesis.
This report underscores the role of timely prosthodontic involvement in interdisciplinary maxillofacial treatment pathways and advocates for the prioritization of equitable access to specialist prosthodontic services to mitigate preventable challenges in this vulnerable patient cohort.
McReynolds DE, Moorthy A, Stassen L, Omer O. Navigating challenges in prosthodontic rehabilitation after long-term delay following fibula free flap reconstruction with a unique overlay removable prosthesis and large vertical dimension increase. J Prosthodont. 2026; 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopr.70094
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