Review article: Rehabilitation of glossectomy patient: Review

In the entire realm of human physiology, no muscular mechanism is more complicated or has more varied functions, unusual mobility and importance in social contacts than the tongue. For the patients with extensive cancerous involvement of tongue, inspite of the adverse treatment sequelae, glossectomy may offer the only treatment of choice. All the functions associated with the interaction of the tongue are usually severely impaired. Prosthodontists can be of invaluable importance in management of such patients. The placement of tongue prosthesis to obturate the large defect created by glossectomy can speed the recovery of patients and return them to society to enjoy a nearly normal diet and produce intelligible speech.