Strategic use of obturator prostheses for the rehabilitation of oral cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

During the current pandemic scenario, maxillofacial rehabilitation specialists involved with supportive care in cancer must transform its practice to cope with COVID-19 and improve protocols that could quickly return the oral function of complex cancer patients who cannot wait for surgical complex rehabilitation. This includes the role of the maxillofacial prosthodontist for the rehabilitation of surgically treated patients with maxillary cancers by the means of filling obturator prostheses that are considered an optimal scientific-based strategy to reduce hospital stay with excellent pain control, oral function (speech, swallowing, mastication, and facial esthetics), psychologic and quality of life outcomes for the patients following intraoral cancer resection. Therefore, the aim of this commentary was to bring new lights to the strategic use of obturator prostheses for the rehabilitation of oral cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as to present a protocol for managing such cases.

• Authors: Thais Bianca Brandão, Cesar Augusto Migliorati, Aljomar José Vechiato-Filho, Wagner Gomes Silva, Ana Carolina Prado Ribeiro, Orlando Parise-Junior, Luiz Paulo Kowalski, Alan Roger Santos-Silva
• Journal: Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (Support Care Cancer) Vol. 29 Issue 1 Pg. 11-15 (Jan 2021) ISSN: 1433-7339 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 32856215 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Ambulatory Care (methods, organization & administration)
• COVID-19 (epidemiology)
• Critical Pathways (organization & administration, standards)
• Dental Prosthesis Design (standards)
• Esthetics
• Health Services Accessibility (organization & administration)
• Humans
• Mandibular Reconstruction (instrumentation, methods, standards)
• Maxillofacial Prosthesis (statistics & numerical data)
• Mouth Neoplasms (rehabilitation, surgery)
• Orthodontics (methods, organization & administration, standards)
• Palatal Obturators (statistics & numerical data)
• Pandemics
• Pathology, Oral (organization & administration, standards)
• Quality of Life
• SARS-CoV-2
• Workflow