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                    • Home »
                    • Jaw reconstruction and rehabilitation

                    Jaw reconstruction and rehabilitation

                    Overview

                    We provide maxillofacial prosthodontics, a type of dentistry that deals with rebuilding and restoring structures in the jaw, mouth and face. You may need this care if you have had treatment for head and neck cancer, trauma or injury or if you were born with missing structures.

                    Our expertise

                    We are pioneers in jaw reconstruction and rehabilitation. Our work is:

                    • Surgically driven: Most treatment involves surgery, along with advanced prosthodontics.
                    • Implant-based: Most reconstructions use implants that are planned digitally.
                    • Collaborative: We work closely with head and neck surgeons, maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons, speech-language pathologists, anaplastologists, surgical design simulationists, technologists and dental care providers.

                    Innovation and technology

                    We are at the forefront of innovations in advanced jaw reconstruction. Using surgical design and simulation, our team can plan precise treatment. These innovations have shortened treatment timelines, in some cases from several years down to one or two.

                    Treatment pathways

                    Alberta reconstructive technique

                    Alberta reconstructive technique workup
                    We assign you to a clinical team. This team will be with you each step of your journey.

                    Surgical design and simulation 
                    We use a CT scan of your mouth and jaw to simulate surgery and design a surgical tool kit.

                    Phase 1 surgery
                    You have surgery to remove your cancer and place your implant. 

                    Phase 2 surgery 
                    After your initial healing, you have surgery to connect your implants to abutments (connecting pieces that join your prothesis to your implants). 

                    Prosthetic rehabilitation
                    You receive your prosthesis and begin to work with our speech-language pathologists to identify any speech or swallowing needs.

                    Continuing care
                    You begin a program of planned followup care.  

                    Rohner reconstructive technique

                    Rohner workup
                    You are assigned a clinical team. This team will be with you each step of your journey.

                    Surgical design and simulation
                    We use a CT scan to digitally design your implant surgery.

                    Phase 1 surgery
                    You have surgery to place implants in your fibula (a small bone in your lower leg) for osseointegration (bone ingrowth). 

                    Phase 2 surgery and prosthesis delivery 
                    You have surgery to remove the lesion and fibula, and your prosthesis is transferred to your mouth. 

                    Continuing care
                    You begin a program of planned followup care.

                    Conventional reconstructive technique

                    Intraoral workup
                    You are assigned a clinical team. This team will be with you each step of your journey.

                    Surgical design and simulation
                    We use a CT scan to digitally design your implant surgery.

                    Phase 1 surgery
                    You have surgery to place your implant.

                    Phase 2 surgery 
                    After your initial healing, you have surgery to connect your implants to abutments (connecting pieces that join your prothesis to your implants). 

                    Prosthetic rehabilitation
                    You receive your prosthesis and begin to work with our speech-language pathologists to identify any speech or swallowing needs.

                    Continuing care
                    You begin a program of planned followup care.

                    Standard reconstructive technique

                    Surgical design and simulation 
                    We digitally simulate and design your surgery.

                    Surgery
                    You have surgery to remove your cancer and reconstruct your jaw.

                    Rehabilitation postsurgery and continuing care 
                    You begin a planned program of followup care, which may include working with our speech-language pathologists on any speech or swallowing needs. 

                    Resources

                    Condition and education

                    • National Foundation of Swallowing Disorders
                    • AHS: Mouth and Dental Care for Cancer Patients (PDF)

                    Cookbooks for swallowing and chewing difficulties

                    • Besser, Jeanne, et al. What to Eat during Cancer Treatment. American Cancer Society, 2019. ISBN: 1604430052
                    • Greer, Rita. Soft Options: For Adults Who Have Difficulty Chewing. Souvenir Press, 1998. ISBN: 978-0285634473
                    • Weihofen, Donna L, et al. Easy-To-Swallow, Easy-To-Chew Cookbook. John Wiley & Sons, 2002. ISBN: 978-0471200741
                    • Wilson, J. Randy. The I-Can’t-Chew Cookbook: Delicious Soft Diet Recipes for People with Chewing, Swallowing, and Dry Mouth Disorders. Hunter House, 2011. ISBN: 978-0897933995
                    • Wilson, J. Randy. Non-Chew Cookbook. 1986. ISBN: 0919100457

                    Contact

                    Address

                    Misericordia Community Hospital
                    1W-02, 16940 87 Ave
                    Edmonton AB  T5R 4H5
                    Canada

                    Phone

                    780.735.2660

                    Fax

                    780.735.2658

                    Email

                    craniofacialcare@covenanthealth.ca

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                    • Bonnyville
                    • Castor
                    • Camrose
                    • Edmonton
                    • Killam
                    • La Crete
                    • Lethbridge
                    • Medicine Hat
                    • Mundare
                    • St. Albert
                    • Trochu
                    • Vegreville

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