Prosthodontic rehabilitat...

A 65-year-old male patient complained of having difficulties in chewing due to missing teeth in both the upper and lower arches, as well as decreased speech due to partial resection of the tongue along the left lateral border following surgery. Squamous cell carcinoma had been diagnosed in the patient and 2 years ago, the left lateral border of the tongue was involved. The patient had been taking medication for type II diabetes for the past 20 years. A general examination revealed that the lip and cheek on the left side of the face had collapsed due to a lack of muscular support. The alveolar ridges of the fully edentulous well-formed maxillary and badly resorbed mandibular teeth were intact intraorally (Figure 1). On the resected side, the lingual sulcus was almost completely lost. Musculature largely covered the mandibular residual alveolar ridge on the left posterior region, compromising the mouth's floor.

With a resected left lateral border, the tongue was impaired, flaccid, with altered posture and restricted movements. The patient complained of significant saliva pooling and drooling in the left corner of his mouth. The patient was wearing an outdated denture that had been made 1.5 years before. The denture's tissue surface showed symptoms of repeated chairside relining and denture adhesive application. The prosthesis lacked the stability, retention, and aesthetics that were necessary. The vertical dimension was lost, which was emphasised by the collapsing bite (Figure 2).