Rehabilitation with Dental Implants after Oral Cancer Treatment

Amongst all types, head-and-neck cancer (oral cancer) is most regular. Each year thousands of patients suffer from oral cancer all over the world. Oral cancer refers to cancer affecting the tissues of neck, throat, salivary glands, face and mouth. Often doctor gives conjunction of ablative surgery and radiotherapy for treating oral cancer. They also recommend dental implants for oral rehabilitation after oral cancer treatment.

Afterwards, patients look for oral rehabilitation for restoring the mouth and dental structure. With so many options to choose from, dental implant is the ideal one on the basis of speech function, aesthetic and mastication. Read on this blog to know more about the process post oral cancer treatment.

What is actually oral cancer?

Oral cancer is amongst one of its kinds. Medically known as neck and head cancer it can affect numerous parts of the face like cheeks, lips, tongue, pharynx, sinuses, mouth floor (both soft and hard). In case, it is impossible to detect in the initial stage it proves to fatal sometimes. It possesses a tendency of developing a mouth sore which doesn’t subside easily.

Options for dental restoration

Both bone augmentation and implants possess high-level of tooth restoration and dental prosthetic rehabilitation especially after having oral cancer. These are some of the dental works which can deliver top-notch outcome for teeth reconstruction. It assures the patients with highly functional and aesthetically appealing teeth.

Bone augmentation

This process is all about rebuilding or replacing bone which had already removed from jaw at the time of cancer surgery. Depending on the requirements, dental surgeon can make use of other body parts of the patients, synthetically made bone and purified animal bones for it.

Dental implants

While bone augmentation helps in restoring jawbone, dental implants assist in restoring the functional ability and physical appearance of the overall mouth. During process of dental implants after oral cancer, the implant will place into the tooth root. Rather than just placing it, it is infused into the jawbone with mimic tooth root.

Over the course of time, with the help of Osseo integration, implants will fuse with surrounding jawbone. After healing, the dentist will place the new, natural-look, artificial tooth for completion of restoration process.

Extensive preparation and planning are important for succession of this dental work. It comprises of proper management of soft tissues for retaining the hygiene and aesthetic appeal. Also it ensures the good health of soft tissues. Many dentists devote much time for shaping the artificial tooth and implants.

Sometimes they place custom-made healing abutments for contouring the tissues. Some clinics design tailor-made models of soft tissues for facilitation of the said process.

What is the biggest challenge in dental implants post cancer treatment?

The dental implant process after oral cancer treatment in the patients is the toughest challenge. This is because the bones to which the dental implant will fuse into undergo radiation treatment. Moreover, it enhances the failing risk of the implants and healing itself can take longer than usual.

You must know that dental implant’s success rate post radiation therapy depends on whether the cancer clears from the body or not! Modern medicinal therapy targets the radiation to the specific or infected area only. Therefore, you can have dental implants successfully far away site from the radiated spot. The success can also impact by the radiation amount you have given by the doctor.

Visit our dental implant clinic in London to book your consultation to discuss on various restorative options available for you post oral cancer treatment. Only the experienced dentist can suggest the best one as per your oral condition by considering previous dental works.