Prosthodontics a boon for patients
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 28
A local resident, Subhash, (not real name) underwent a traumatic experience ever since he was diagnosed with cancer some years ago. With surgery as the only option, he underwent an operation for removal of the cancerous growth in his eye 18 months back. Although the surgery involving removal of his right eye and palate was successful, the deep scar on his face affected his appearance. However, a chance meeting and subsequent treatment by a prosthodontist, Dr Vinod Chandel, who runs a clinic in Sector 37, helped remove his disfigurement and restored his confidence.

The branch of dentistry dealing with artificial teeth and any missing facial parts such as eye, ear, nose, or lips is called prosthodontics. A prosthodontist provides high-level care for patients who have missing teeth or have significant damage to their existing teeth. He also deals with congenital defects as well as problems arising out of trauma and cancer.

The most striking advancement in prosthodontics is related to maxillo-facial prosthesis which is aimed at removing disfigurement. Cancer patients who undergo surgery often have disfigurement in the neck area and face. In maxillo-facial prosthesis, a facial part is fabricated with the help of acrylic resin which is then covered with silicone that resembles human skin. In the case of Subhash, an artificial eyeball was inserted and the disfigurement made minimal.

Patients who lose vital body parts in surgeries shy away from public interaction and often go into seclusion which can be harmful. It is for them that prosthodontics has proved to be a boon,? says Dr Chandel, who has done BDS and MDS (Prosthodontics) from the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.