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PurposePatient-specific implants are commonly used to reconstruct lower jaw defects following surgical treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The planning process of surgery is time-consuming and can delay the “time to surgery,” which should be as short as possible. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the planning process to speed up and identify any sources of problems.Patients and methodsIn this retrospective study, we enrolled patients who underwent continuous resection of the mandible in combination with reconstruction with a patient-specific implant between 2016 and 2021. The predictor variables were in-house training of the engineers and implant complexity (complex [with additional features] vs. less complex [resembling standard reconstruction plates]). The outcome variables were the duration of communication, message length, and the need for synchronous communication or modifications to the original design. Descriptive and univariate statistics were computed, and statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.ResultsThe data from 83 patients were included in this study. The mean duration of communication was 14.05 ± 13.58 days. The implant complexity and training status of the engineer had no statistically significant influence on the primary outcome variables. As for the secondary outcome variables, the implant complexity significantly influenced the chance that the planned operation had to be postponed (15/16 [93.75%] were complex cases, P = 0.001). The most frequent cause of problems in the planning process was an insufficient dataset, which was not dependent on the type of imaging.ConclusionsThe overall duration of the patient-specific implant creation process is too long to meet oncological requirements. Therefore, standardization of the planning process to accelerate implant creation is of utmost importance. In addition, a common standard imaging format (independent of the type of imaging) for oncological cases could eliminate all delays caused by insufficient datasets in the future.

Objectives: After resection of an oral carcinoma, patients are faced with physical, psychological, and socioeconomic challenges. Rehabilitation plays an essential role in patients’ reintegration into their social and professional environment. This study evaluated whether socioeconomic aspects affect oral cancer patients’ participation in rehabilitation treatment. Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted with 1,532 patients following surgical treatment of oral cancer during an international multicenter rehabilitation study of the German-Swiss-Austrian Cooperative Working Group on Maxillofacial Tumors using a questionnaire comprising disease-related and psychosocial items postoperatively and at least 6 months after surgery. Results: Only 35.4% of patients participated in rehabilitation. Age (p, Ziele: Nach Resektion eines Mundhöhlenkarzinoms stehen Patienten vor körperlichen, psychischen und sozioökonomischen Herausforderungen. Die Rehabilitation spielt eine wesentliche Rolle bei der Wiedereingliederung der Patienten in ihr soziales und berufliches Umfeld. In dieser Studie wurde untersucht, ob sozioökonomische Aspekte die Teilnahme von Mundkrebspatienten an einer Rehabilitationsbehandlung beeinflussen. Material und Methoden: Im Rahmen der internationalen multizentrischen Rehabilitationsstudie des Deutsch-Österreichisch-Schweizerischen Arbeitskreises für Tumoren des Kiefer-Gesichtsbereichs wurde mittels eines Fragebogens eine retrospektive Analyse von 1.532 Patienten mindestens 6 Monate nach operativer Behandlung eines Mundhöhlenkarzinoms durchgeführt. Ergebnisse: Nur 35,4% der Patienten nahmen an einer Rehabilitation teil. Alter (p

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a digital workflow by comparing the accuracy of prosthetic teeth positioning between virtual standard-size digitally constructed and conventional dental laboratory-fabricated prostheses. Methods Twenty-five computed tomography datasets with a dentate upper jaw were selected after applying inclusion criteria to 100 random datasets obtained from the institutional library, and partially edentulous maxillae were constructed virtually. Digital datasets of temporary prostheses were fabricated on these virtually constructed edentulous maxillae in two ways: one dataset comprised prostheses that were fabricated conventionally using prosthetic teeth and wax in the dental laboratory and then scanned using a model scanner, whereas the other dataset was designed virtually using standardized virtual dental arches. The digital datasets of both prostheses were compared for differences at six dental-based measurement points with the original patient dentition. Results Overall, the conventional design pathway was more accurate than the digital one (conventional 2.915 ± 1.388 mm, digital 3.609 ± 2.052 mm, P Conclusion It is possible to fabricate clinically acceptable temporary prostheses using a comprehensive digital workflow based on standardized digital dental arches.