Oral Prosthetic Rehabilitation with and without Implants after Radiation Therapy and Ablative Surgery - Special Issue

To understand the impact of oral rehabilitation of patients treated for head and neck cancer, it would be beneficial to describe the patient-reported problems related to fixed and removable prostheses with and without implants and which impairments are improved by the treatment. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of oral rehabilitation with fixed versus removable prostheses with and without implants on Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) measured with OHIP-49 for patients treated with radiation therapy and/or ablative surgery. The study cohort included 51 patients (35 males, 16 females) with a mean age of 66 years. A significant improvement in OHRQoL was demonstrated after oral rehabilitation with fixed and removable dental prosthesis for patients after radiation and/or ablative jaw surgery. Thirty-nine of the 43 patients improved oral health related quality of life after prosthetic rehabilitation. Twenty-four patients improved with more than 20 points. The oral rehabilitation resulted in better appearance and chewing function. No significant effect between fixed versus removable prostheses and no significant effect of implant on the OHIP-score. This may be explained by a limited sample size, a great variation between the included patients and the validity of the OHIP-49 questionnaire measure to demonstrate patient-reported improvements or deterioration of a prosthetic treatment in this group of very functional compromised patients.