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Loss of facial features can result from a variety of traumatic events. Throughout history, humans have worked to develop materials and methods to repair such defects. Epithesis first appeared in medical literature in the 16th century. In Japan, wooden dentures were used during the first half of the 16th century. This review outlines the history of maxillofacial prosthetics and discusses the possibility of nasal and orbital epithesis creation in Japan until early modern times. Craftsmen in Japan with sophisticated skills specialized in the production of Buddhist statues, Noh masks, and Netsukes, and in the Edo period, they also specialized in the production of artificial noses and eyes. Although evidence in books, flyers, and paintings suggests the insertion of epitheses, no physical trace has been found that were actually used. This lack of physical evidence may be attributed to the deterioration and corrosion of the wooden material, making it undetectable over time. In the future, examination of the orbit, nasal cavity, and oral cavity with extreme care when excavating human bones, traces of such epitheses may be identified., (Copyright 2024 © American Academy of the History of Dentistry.)

The role of the maxillofacial prosthodontist in the treatment of head and neck cancer patients is not well understood in the medical community. Frequently, dental professionals are called upon by physicians to provide advice regarding the complex needs of head and neck cancer patients. Most general dentists have had limited training in this area. The general dentist has the opportunity to provide the bridge between the physician and the maxillofacial prosthodontist, who can provide treatment information to both the general dentist and the physician. A better understanding of maxillofacial prosthodontics can clarify which patients should be referred to a maxillofacial prosthodontist for treatment.

The author refers to the works performed by these Argentine professionals, and their contribute to this branch of Surgery during the 20 year-period they were in the Medical Service of Dr. José María Jorge, at Durand Hospital, where they carried out their research and attended on lots of patients; among them one whose clinical case is described in this article.

Gustave Ginestet, pratician and surgeon of two world wars in Europe, military medical in Lebanon and Syrian French Protectorat (1925-1931), countries where his works are not forgotten, was an admired and respectable master, pioneer of the maxillo facial and stomatologic French school of surgery, chief, between 1936 and 1966, and now, spiritual father of the referent services for head and neck surgery in France.

An account is given of Sigmund Freud's illness and care following the diagnosis of oral cancer in 1923. The key figure in the clinical management was Professor Hans Pichler of Vienna, who undertook the maxillectomy and most of the subsequent prosthetic care. Other contributors included Doctors Schroeder and Weinmann and Professor Kazanjian. Two of Freud's obturators are in the collection of the Freud Museum, London. An examination of these, together with reference to a copy of Pichler's clinical notes, also in the Museum's collection, has allowed the position of these prostheses, within the overall scheme of Freud's care, to be identified.

A short historical review is presented of the development from simple facial plates towards complex maxillofacial prostheses. There was an impetuous demand for extended development of this type of prostheses during World War I. The Dutch plastic surgeon Esser developed the skin-graft-inlay technique facilitating in a relative easy way extensive maxillofacial reconstructions. The technique was published in English and German and was soon used by surgeons on both sides. The combined training of Esser in medicine and dentistry was advantageous for the development of the technique.

This article traces the history of facial and ocular prosthetics. Creative individuals who have made significant contributions are highlighted and the evolution of techniques and materials is presented. In view of the significance placed upon facial beauty in today's society, it becomes incumbent upon us to recognize the ingenuity and skill of those in the past to gain appreciation for the present state of the art and to provide incentive for improving facial and ocular prosthetic restorations in the future.

In 1893, the famous French surgeon E. J. Péan substituted the proximal end of a humerus with a total shoulder arthroplasty made of platinum and rubber. After 2 years, the prosthesis was removed and nothing more was heard about it. After more than 80 years from that historic operation, the author has found Péan's original prosthesis in the Smithsonian Institution of Washington, D.C. This exceptional medical document was designed by a Parisian dentist, J. Porter Michaels and was brought to the United States by Edward A. Bogue, an American dentist who worked in Paris. Bogue donated it in 1916 to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington. At the present time the prosthesis is being kept in the Smithsonian Institution. The intervention was not a complete success since Péan had to remove the artificial joint due to a persistent tubercular infection. Nevertheless this prosthesis represents a milestone in the history of medicine, an event justly deserving of our note.