A national survey of oral and maxillofacial surgeons' attitudes towards the treatment and dental rehabilitation of oral cancer patients.

AIMS: To investigate the attitudes of maxillofacial surgeons in the treatment and dental rehabilitation of oral cancer patients in the UK. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The survey was conducted by postal questionnaires with 17 close-ended questions. A total of 229 questionnaires were sent to members of the British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons over a one week period. A follow-up was sent if a reply was not received within 12 weeks. These results were compared to a similar study that was carried out approximately 15 years ago. RESULTS: The response rate was 65.5% (150/229). Overall 62% of respondents (92/150) carried out maxillary resections, which represents a decline of 23% on the previous study. There has been an increase in surgeons reconstructing the maxillary defect from 38% in the 1995 study to 91% in the present study. Ninety-eight percent of respondents had their patients seen in a multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinic, but in only 30% of the cases was a restorative dentist present on these clinics. There has been an improvement in the accessibility of a restorative dentist for this patient cohort, from 65% to 90%. The use of implants for dental rehabilitation post-cancer surgery has increased from 43% to 93%. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the changes in the dental and oral rehabilitation of patients undergoing resective surgery for oral cancer and especially those undergoing a maxillectomy procedure. It illustrates the increased use of implants for post-surgery rehabilitation and shows the different trends in which these implants are placed. An important aspect of this study is the input of the dental team. Current national guidelines state that a consultant restorative dentist needs to be a member of the MDT; this survey shows that this was the case in only 30% of responses.

Ten years of experience with the anterior maxillary and mandibular osteoplasty (class IV ridges): a retrospective analysis of implant survival rates.

The anterior maxillary osteoplasty restores adequate bone to the edentulous Class IV ridge prior to placement of endosseous implants. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the long-term survival of implants placed into the particulate bone of an anterior alveolar osteoplasty to those placed into a 'block' onlay bone graft. Of 85 patients with Class IV 'knife-edge' alveolar ridges, 50 received interpositional particulate bone via an alveolar osteoplasty and 35 received an onlay cortico-cancellous graft. A total of 386 implants were placed as a secondary procedure and followed postoperatively (mean 6 years; 39 failures). There was improved cumulative survival of implants placed into the particulate bone of an osteoplasty compared to the block bone of an onlay graft. Implants supporting a fixed superstructure had a longer cumulative survival than those supporting a removable appliance. There was no statistical difference between implants placed into male and female bone, or between those in edentulous and partially dentate jaws. Within a partially dentate jaw there was a statistically significant increase in cumulative survival for implants within osteoplasty inlay bone compared to onlay bone grafts. Anterior osteoplasty is the surgical treatment of choice for augmentation of the resorbed Class IV alveolar ridge prior to placement of osseo-integrated implants.

Vascularized iliac crest with internal oblique muscle for immediate reconstruction after maxillectomy.

The vascularized iliac crest graft with internal oblique muscle as a method of reconstruction after maxillectomy has been used routinely at the Regional Maxillofacial Unit in Liverpool since 1993. Twenty-four consecutive operations have now been done and this paper reports an audit of our experience. An analysis of case-notes was made retrospectively after checking theatre diaries and records. A detailed inspection of the case-notes was undertaken to ascertain the presenting diagnosis, the complications and the outcome in terms of recurrence and disease survival. The type of defect was recorded, as was whether it had been possible to rehabilitate the patient both dentally and facially. At the time of this study 9 patients (38%) had died of their disease leaving 15 surviving. In 13 cases full dental and facial rehabilitation had been achieved or patients were waiting for an implant-retained prosthesis. Donor site problems important enough to be recorded in the notes were minimal, one case of abdominal wall weakness was noted, which required no intervention. The vascularized iliac crest graft with internal oblique muscle offers a complete solution for reconstruction after maxillectomy, providing there has been no sacrifice of the overlying facial skin and oral sphincter. There is sufficient height and depth of bone to maintain a facial profile and the muscle epithelializes to provide an ideal oral and nasal lining. This flap provides a base to enable full dental and facial prosthetic rehabilitation with either implant-retained or conventional prostheses.