The rising challenge of mucormycosis for maxillofacial prosthodontists in the Covid-19 pandemic: A literature review

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Purpose: This review examines the importance of prosthetic rehabilitation after surgical treatment of mucormycosis in the context of expected increases in cases during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Study selection: Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed databases were searched for relevant articles published between 2010 and 2021. Articles that provided a full description of prosthetic treatment after surgical treatment of mucormycosis were included in the review.

Results: Out of 30 articles describing orofacial prosthetic rehabilitation after surgical treatment of mucormycosis published during the 12-year target period, 19 reported patients with diabetes, two described mucormycosis as a post-COVID-19 complication, and 25 were reports from India. Most of the prosthetic treatments used a definitive obturator (63.3%) either alone or in combination with other forms of prosthetic rehabilitation. Other prosthetic strategies included an orbital prosthesis (26.6%), a facial prosthesis with or without a nasal replacement (16.6%), a surgical or interim obturator, a conventional complete denture, and a cast partial denture. Six articles (20%) mentioned the use of combined prosthetic rehabilitation involving multiple regions of the face and oral cavity.

Conclusion: Prosthetic rehabilitation after surgical treatment of mucormycosis is essential for the early restoration of oral function and facial esthetics. Given the aggressive nature of mucormycosis and the increasing number of cases reported during the COVID-19 pandemic, prosthodontists need to share their experiences with prosthetic rehabilitation of the defects that result from this disease to improve patients’ quality of life.