Srivastava Shubham K, Sikdar Chinmoy, Rana Akshim, Srivastava Shitij, Shekhar Abhinav
Department of Prosthodontics, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental and Medical Sciences, Lucknow, IND.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 30;17(7):e89095. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89095. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Craniofacial rehabilitation demands a multidisciplinary approach where prosthodontists play a pivotal yet often underutilized role in the continuum of care. Traditionally, prosthetic rehabilitation is considered a postsurgical step, leading to delays in functional restoration and compromised outcomes. This editorial emphasizes the need to redefine prosthodontics as an integral component of craniofacial surgical planning, from the operating room to the dental chair. By fostering collaboration between surgeons, prosthodontists, and digital design teams at the preoperative stage, patient-specific obturators (prosthetic devices designed to close palatal or facial defects), stents (used to maintain surgical openings or support tissue healing), and implant-supported frameworks can be planned, thereby improving surgical precision and postoperative function. Advances in 3D printing, virtual surgical planning, and CAD/CAM technology further strengthen the feasibility of this collaborative workflow. Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence in anatomical segmentation, prosthesis design, and predictive surgical planning is a rapidly developing domain, promising greater accuracy and personalization. Despite these technological advances, barriers such as logistical challenges, reimbursement limitations, and a lack of structured interdepartmental pathways continue to hinder early prosthodontic involvement. Addressing these systemic issues through institutional protocols, interdisciplinary training modules, and streamlined communication pathways can enhance overall care delivery. Highlighting cases from oncology, trauma, and congenital deformity management, this piece calls for institutional mandates that support early prosthodontic integration to optimize both esthetic and functional outcomes in craniofacial rehabilitation, while also embracing emerging technologies that shape the future of this field.
颅面康复需要多学科方法，其中口腔修复医生在连续的护理过程中发挥着关键但往往未得到充分利用的作用。传统上，修复性康复被视为术后步骤，导致功能恢复延迟和结果不佳。这篇社论强调需要将口腔修复学重新定义为颅面外科手术规划的一个组成部分，从手术室到牙科椅。通过在术前阶段促进外科医生、口腔修复医生和数字设计团队之间的合作，可以规划针对患者的阻塞器（用于封闭腭部或面部缺损的修复装置）、支架（用于维持手术开口或支持组织愈合）和种植体支持的框架，从而提高手术精度和术后功能。3D打印、虚拟手术规划和CAD/CAM技术的进步进一步加强了这种协作工作流程的可行性。此外，人工智能在解剖分割、假体设计和预测性手术规划中的整合是一个快速发展的领域，有望实现更高的准确性和个性化。尽管有这些技术进步，但后勤挑战、报销限制和缺乏结构化的部门间途径等障碍继续阻碍口腔修复医生的早期参与。通过机构协议、跨学科培训模块和简化的沟通途径来解决这些系统性问题，可以提高整体护理服务。本文通过突出肿瘤学、创伤和先天性畸形管理方面的案例，呼吁制定机构指令，支持早期口腔修复学整合，以优化颅面康复中的美学和功能结果，同时也采用塑造该领域未来的新兴技术。
