Prosthodontic rehabilitation of residual mandibular defect with Fixed removable Hybrid prosthesis- A case report

Ameloblastoma is a rare, benign tumor of odontogenic epithelium that was recognized in 1827 by Cusack and renamed ameloblastoma in 1930 by Ivey and Churchill. Ameloblastomas can be found both in the maxilla and mandible with a greater predilection of about 80% in the mandible with the posterior ramus area being the most frequent site. While chemotherapy, radiation therapy, curettage and liquid nitrogen have been effective in some cases of ameloblastoma, surgical resection remains the most definitive treatment for this condition. Rehabilitation of residual mandibular defect post resection is a challenge due to long span compromised ridge condition and the absence of dentition. In such scenario, a fixed-removable prosthesis allows rapid return to excellent function by providing favorable biomechanical stress distribution along with restoration of esthetics, phonetics and ease of postoperative care and maintenance. This paper presents successful Prosthodontic rehabilitation of a patient with a large residual mandibular defect secondary to surgical resection for ameloblastoma using fixed-removable hybrid prosthesis. Keywords: Ameloblastoma, Mandibular defects, Hybrid prosthesis, Fixedremovable partial denture.