Relationship Between Oral Perception and Habitual Chewing Side for Bare Bone Graft With Dental Implants After Mandibular Reconstruction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between habitual chewing side and perception of the oral mucosa following reconstruction with dental implants.

Study Design: Five patients comprised 2 males and 3 females, with ameloblastoma in 2 patients, odontogenic myxoma in 2 patients, and oral squamous cell carcinoma in 1 patient. They were treated using mandibular reconstruction with bare bone graft after segmental resection of the mandible. Perception (tactile, warm, and cold) was measured at 8 points (chin, lower lip, gingiva, and lateral edge of the tongue, bilaterally). Habitual chewing side was evaluated using a computerized index, the first chewing cycle, and a question on chewing.

Results: Perception on resected sides was improved at all measurement points for tactile and cold sensitive evaluation, although sensitivities on the resected side remained below the normal range. In the relationship between habitual chewing side and implanted prostheses in reconstructed bone, the chewing side was the resected side in 2 of the 5 patients. When those 2 patients underwent prosthesis implantation after removal of denture, the chewing side changed from the nonresected side to the resected side. Implant prostheses on resected side were suggested to contribute to masticatory function. Perception in those patients was incomplete but was improved compared with other patients. When prosthesis implantation is performed on the reconstructed side, the resected side may become the habitual chewing side.

Conclusions: Recovery of perception can influence acquisition of the habitual chewing side.