Maximum Bite Force And Patient Satisfaction After Prosthetic Rehabilitation In Patients with Segmental Mandibulectomy: Cross Sectional, Observational Study

Maximum bite force and patient satisfaction after dental and prosthetic rehabilitation in patients with segmental mandibulectomy: cross sectional, observational study

Tumor of lower jaw bone often requires surgery to remove the affected jaw bone (mandible), muscle and teeth. Then the removed part is reconstructed either with bone, muscle and skin from the leg (Free fibula flap) or with muscle and skin from the chest or thigh (soft tissue flap). These patients lose their teeth during the surgery. The replacement of teeth for patients whose jaw is built with bone is done with the help of a dental implant, a titanium made screw like fixture which remains embedded inside the bone. Removable dentures or fixed teeth are then given with the support of the implants placed in the jaw bone. For patients whose jaw is built with soft tissue only, the remaining jaw has a tendency to shift to the side of surgery. Such patients are given a clip that helps to bring the remaining jaw back into position (guide bite prosthesis). The effectiveness of these kind of prostheses has not been evaluated earlier. To check the same, the force generated by upper and lower teeth (known as bite force) will be measured and recorded. A bite force that is higher would indicate better chewing.

The chewing ability with these implant supported prosthesis and guide bite prosthesis will also be measured with a chewing gum.

Therefore, the purpose of the study is to measure the bite force for patients rehabilitated with bone and soft tissue flap and to evaluate the chewing efficiency for these group of patients. An instrument that is used to measure the bite force (bite force transducer) would be used to measure the bite force in both group of patients during the follow up visit to the hospital.