Reconstructive Tumor Surgery in the Mandible

Aside from benign and malignant odontogenic and osseous lesions of the mandible, tumors involving the mandible are usually squamous cell cancers arising from the oral mucosa. The majority of patients presenting with these cancers to the head and neck surgeon have an extensive lesion which is identifiable on the head and neck examination. Generally confirmation of the pathology is readily obtained with biopsy and routine pathological examination. Primary tumors of the mandible are less common. Both these and metastatic lesions may require more extensive open biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Benign tumors of the mandible are either found incidentally by routine dental radiography or present as a palpable mass with or without dental complaints. Loss of inferior alveolar nerve function is seldom seen even with larger tumors, unless there is extensive mandibular involvement.