Journal of Oral Implantology August 2013 - (Page 479)

CASE REPORT Craniofacial Implant-Retained Auricular Prosthesis: A Case Report Erhan Dilber1* Ozlem Koc2 Atiye Nilgun Ozturk, Prof Dr2 Mehtap Karamese3 Implants provide patients with a safe and reliable method for anchoring auricular prostheses that enable restoration of their normal appearance and offer improved quality of life. In this case report, an auricular prosthesis was fabricated for a patient who had lost his right external ear in a traffic accident. Extraoral implants and bar-and-clip retention for the proper connection of the auricular prosthesis to the implant were used. Key Words: maxillofacial prosthesis, auricular prosthesis, implant-retained prosthesis, auricular deformities INTRODUCTION C ongenital or acquired absence of facial structures caused by malformation, cancer treatment surgery, or trauma leads to functional deficits and enormous psychological strain, and therefore requires rehabilitation.1,2 The loss of an auricle, in the presence of an auditory canal, affects hearing, because the auricle gathers sound and directs it into the canal. With natural ears, the auricle acts as a resonator to slightly amplify lower-frequency sounds. The auricle also helps to localize sounds, especially in conjunction with the other ear.3 Auricular prostheses were conventionally retained using adhesives, natural undercuts at retention sites, or spectacles. However, these methods were unsatisfactory because of frequent loss of retention, skin reactions to adhesives, or unnatural movements of the prosthesis. Osseointegrated implants became a popular method of prosthesis retention, initially using a bar-and-clip and magnet and other retention device.4–8 1 Sifa University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Prosthodontics, Izmir, Turkey. 2 Selcuk University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Prostho¸ dontics, Konya, Turkey. 3 Selcuk University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Plastic ¸ and Reconstructive Aesthetic Surgery, Konya, Turkey. * Corresponding author, e-mail: dilberhan@gmail.com DOI: 10.1563/AAID-JOI-D-11-00147 A successful rehabilitation with facial prosthesis depends on knowledge concerning principles of facial harmony, colors mixture, adaptation, retention, prosthesis weight, durability, and biocompatibility. Such characteristics are directly related to material selection.5,9,10 The most common materials for facial prostheses are heat-polymerized acrylic resins and heat-polymerized and autopolymerizing silicone.5,11 Patients with auricular prothesis may have some problems, especially during bathing, sleeping, or other activities. However, it may be difficult to protect these epistheses from external factors such as rain, sun, and cold weather.12,13 Therefore, in some cases the outer constructions of the prothesis have been produced in a removable manner, and a system, for example, a bar or magnet, has been used to attach this removable part to the implants.12–15 This case report describes the clinical and laboratory procedures for fabricating an implantretained auricular prosthesis for a boy with a right ear defect resulting from a traffic accident. CLINICAL REPORT A 15-year-old boy who had lost his right external ear (Figure 1) in a traffic accident was referred by his plastic surgeon to the Prosthodontic Clinic at the University of Selcuk. The patient received the ¸ implants in accordance with a 2-stage surgical Journal of Oral Implantology 479

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of Oral Implantology August 2013

Literary Responsibility—Everyone Has a Role to Play
Rehabilitation of Surgically Relocated Integrated Dental Implants With and Without Bone Morphogenesis Protein-2
Erratum
Marginal Fit of Implant-Supported All-Ceramic Zirconia Frameworks
Influence of the Implant Diameter With Different Sizes of Hexagon: Analysis by 3-Dimensional Finite Element Method
Autologous Dental Pulp Stem Cells in Regeneration of Defect Created in Canine Periodontal Tissue
Histologic and Biomechanical Evaluation of 2 Resorbable-Blasting Media Implant Surfaces at Early Implantation Times
Efficacy of Guided Bone Regeneration Using Composite Bone Graft and Resorbable Collagen Membrane in Seibert’s Class I Ridge Defects: Radiological Evaluation
Minimal Iliac Bone Harvesting in Sinus Lift Surgery
Functional Load in Oblique Bicortical Implants: Parasinusal Implants and Palatine Implants
Ultrasonic Oscillations for Conservative Retrieval of a Rare Fracture of Implant Healing Abutment
Craniofacial Implant-Retained Auricular Prosthesis: A Case Report
Gingival Conditioning in an Implant-Supported Prosthesis: A Clinical Report
An Early Loaded Implant-Supported Mandibular Complete Arch Fixed Prosthesis in a Young Completely Edentulous Patient: A Case Report
Computer Guided Surgery for Implant Placement and Dental Rehabilitation in a Patient Undergoing Sub-Total Mandibulectomy and Microvascular Free Flap Reconstruction
Guided Bone Regeneration for Socket Preservation in Molar Extraction Sites: Histomorphometric and 3D Computerized Tomography Analysis
Osseointegration of Dental Implants and Osteonecrosis of the Jaw in Patients Treated With Bisphosphonate Therapy: A Systematic Review
Review of Current Literature

Journal of Oral Implantology August 2013