Fabrication of custom oral positioning devices in head and neck proton radiotherapy.

With complex head and neck diseases that closely approximate crucial organs or have advanced spread and cannot be surgically resected, intensity modulated proton beam radiotherapy is favored due to its superior dose targeting through magnetic manipulation of the proton energy. A radiation mask and an oral positioning device immobilize craniofacial, cervical, and oral structures for accurate and reliable radiation delivery. Widely available prefabricated thermoplastic oral positioning devices are manufactured in standardized forms and materials that unpredictably affect the proton beams' pathways and range. This technique article showcases a workflow that combines analog and digital dental techniques to produce a customized 3D-printed oral positioning device within 2 appointments.

What is the Incidence of Oral Cancer Recurrence in Patients Reconstructed With a Microvascular Free Flap, Endosseous Implants, and an Oral Prosthesis and How Does the Timing of Implant Placement Influence Recurrence?

PURPOSE: In patients with malignant oral disease, there is concern that immediate implant placement at the time of ablative and microvascular free flap surgery can contribute to tumor recurrence or delay the diagnosis of recurrence. The purpose of this study is to 1) estimate the incidence of recurrence in patients with malignant disease treated with immediate microvascular free flap reconstruction, endosseous implants, and an oral prosthesis, 2) measure and compare the timing of implant placement, immediate versus delayed, and the time to complete oral rehabilitation, and 3) measure the association between the timing of implant placement and tumor recurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing medical record analysis involving patients with malignant oral cancer undergoing tumor resection and immediate microvascular reconstruction from 1996 to 2019 at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN by the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Additional inclusion criteria comprised of immediate or delayed endosseous implant placement, the fabrication of an oral prosthesis, and a minimum of 2-year follow-up. Data on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, timing of implant placement and prosthesis loading, type of prosthesis, tumor recurrence, or second primary tumor events were analyzed. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients with a mean follow-up of 6.4 years were included. Twenty-four patients (72.7%) were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma with 3 patients experiencing tumor recurrence. Fifteen patients had immediate implant placement while 18 patients had delayed implant placement. The mean number of days to prosthetic loading of the implants was 680.4 days and 330.1 days for the delayed implant group and immediate implant group, respectively, which was statistically significant (P = .004). The timing of implant placement and the event of a recurrence were not statistically significant (P = .075). CONCLUSION: The incidence of recurrence in patients with malignant oral cancer treated with microvascular reconstruction, endosseous implants, and an oral prosthesis was 12.5% with one recurrence occurring beneath the oral prosthesis. Delayed implant placement resulted in a statistically significant delay in the completion of oral rehabilitation compared to immediate implant placement. There was no difference in the incidence of recurrence in the immediate implant group compared to the delayed implant group.

The Effect of Patient Specific Factors on Occlusal Forces Generated: Best Evidence Consensus Statement.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this Best Evidence Consensus Statement was to search the literature to determine if there is a relationship between patient specific factors and occlusal force. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review was conducted in the following databases: Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (EBMR), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Embase, and Ovid MEDLINE(R) and Epub Ahead of Print. Articles on patient factors and occlusal force were compiled by using a combination of the key words: "bite force," "occlusal force," "partial and complete edentulism," "bruxism," and "orthognathic class." Inclusion criteria included meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, case series, and journal articles. Exclusion criteria were case reports, studies in children, animals, and bench studies. RESULTS: Of the 1502 articles that met the initial search criteria, 97 related to patient-specific factors affecting occlusal forces. These articles were evaluated, rated, and organized into appropriate categories addressing questions of foci. CONCLUSIONS: The range of occlusal force is highly variable among subjects correlated to patient specific factors such as age, gender, partial and complete edentulism, the presence of a maxillofacial defect, location of edentulous area, orthognathic profile, and magnitude of occlusal vertical dimension. Tooth replacement therapies targeted at increasing occlusal contact seem to have a positive effect on increasing occlusal force. Bruxism does not necessarily demonstrate higher occlusal powering but may have greater tooth contact time. Occlusal force is not clearly affected by the type of dental restoration or restorative material used. The clinical significance of the changes in occlusal forces is yet to be determined.

Prosthetic Rehabilitation with Amyloidosis of the Tongue.

Amyloidosis of the tongue can result in significant and irreversible alterations of tooth position and function due to prolonged application of imbalanced force on the teeth by the enlarged tongue. Due to the rarity of this oral form of systemic disease, little has been elucidated on management of the resulting impaired oral function. While surgery can address the size of the tongue, it carries significant morbidities, enlargement can recur, and does not address adverse tooth positioning. Prosthetic rehabilitation can more aptly restore oral function but it also needs to be tailored based on the patient's expectations and goals as well as biologic and mechanical parameters of treatment. This report discusses an effective and noninvasive application of a tooth-supported, removable prosthesis with an onlay occlusal design to restore occlusion, speech, and esthetics in a patient with tongue-based amyloidosis.