IMPROVEMENT IN ORAL FUNCTION FOLLOWING TUMOR SURGERY BY A COMBINATIONOF TONGUE PLASTY BY THE STEINHAUSER TECHNIQUE AND OSSEOINTEGRATED IMPLANTS

Oral functions such as speaking, chewing and swallowing are often redu ced after ablative tumour surgery in the mouth and oropharynx. For res toration of at least a part of these functions, stable dentures and sa tisfactory mobility of the tongue are necessary. Dental implants can b e used to achieve stable dentures. Pre-implant surgery, however, is of ten needed to reduce the amount of bulky tissue when myocutaneous flap s have been used for reconstruction, and to achieve adequate mobility of the tongue. A combination of tongueplasty by the Steinhauser techni que and osseointegrated implants will be described and discussed. Twel ve patients have been treated by this technique between 1992 and 1995, with a mean follow up of 11.6 months. All patients reported an improv ed tongue mobility and ability to chew. Tongueplasty by the Steinhause r technique with secondary epithelialization, in combination with osse ointegrated implants, is a simple and effective means of improving ora l function.