2022 Volume 14 Issue 4 Pages 399-402
Patient: This case report describes a 77-year-old male who underwent mandibulectomy, left-sided neck dissection (I-III), and reconstruction with a plate and rectus abdominis skin valve due to T4aN2bM0 gingival cancer. The patient was diagnosed with masticatory disorder due to postoperative deviation of mandibular position and decreased tongue pressure. A palatal plate was delivered as the initial treatment. A palatal augmentation prosthesis in the maxilla and an appliance for defective jaw in the mandible were made as the final prosthetic devices.
Discussion: In this case, improvement of tongue pressure and masticatory function were observed after installing the new maxillary and mandibular dentures. The dentures, which were made to have better morphology to improve mastication and swallowing, obtained satisfactory results.
Conclusion: The final prosthetic device that achieved tongue contact with the palate and functional training improved the tongue pressure and masticatory disturbance.
