Geometric Evaluation of the Effect of Prosthetic Rehabilitation on Facial Asymmetry in Mandibulectomy Patients

Purpose: To geometrically evaluate facial asymmetry in patients with mandibulectomy defects with and without their mandibular prostheses in place and to compare the results to a nonpatient group. Materials and Methods: Facial data from a convenience sample of 16 patients with mandibulectomy defects and a control group of 16 nonpatients were acquired using a noncontact 3D digitizer. Facial asymmetry was evaluated by superimposing a facial scan onto its mirror scan for each patient's 3D dataset using 3D evaluation software. Results: Facial asymmetry was significantly different between mandibulectomy patients and control participants. As expected, asymmetry was significantly different in mandibulectomy patients with and without their prostheses. Conclusion: Wearing a mandibular prosthesis notably improved facial asymmetry.