Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Technology

THE INSTITUTE OF MAXILLOFACIAL PROSTHETISTS AND TECHNOLOGISTS

Maxillofacial prosthetics and technology has its modern origins in its earlier supporting role to the plastic and maxillofacial units that were set up during the first and second World wars, where many thousands of service personnel with facial injuries were received and treated.

In 1962 the Maxillofacial Technicians Association was created and following a process of transition the Institute of Maxillofacial Prosthetists and Technologists (IMPT - registered office 818, High Street, Kingswinford, West Midlands DY6 8AA) was founded. The Institute has a student membership and an active educational programme for members. The Autumn Seminar 2000 will be held on Friday, 22nd September 2000 at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton.

The Journal of the Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Technology is published annually with many colour illustrations and photographs and is the leading publication for the technology (Editor, Ian Collins MIMPT, Tel 01905 760216, Fax 01905 760213).

Maxillofacial prosthetists and technologists are employed within the NHS hospital structure and work as part of a close team with many disciplines and, in particular, have a strong and close relationship with oral & maxillofacial surgeons. The work of these laboratories is divided into four main areas.

Splint Therapy - The traditional area of splint therapy is the provision of intraoral positional and splinting systems for the treatment of facial trauma and orthognathic jaw surgery. In recent years, splint therapy has extended to the provision of body and facial splints for the control of cheloid and hypertrophic scarring.

Facial and Body Prosthetic Rehabilitation - With the introduction of new systems of implant retention and improved silicone materials, facial and body prosthetics has advanced greatly in recent years. The systems enabling the maxillofacial prosthetist to improve the service to the facially disfigured patient with the provision of realistic artificial facial and body parts (eg. eyes, ears, noses, fingers and prostheses that cover large parts of the face). Large facial defects require complex multi-sectional prostheses to restore speech, eating and drinking.

With the establishment of new breast care centres, maxillofacial prosthetists have developed techniques into new areas of body prosthetics by providing a comprehensive service of nipple and partial breast prostheses.

Implantology - This covers the provision of custom-made implants in metallic and non-metallic materials as deep buried, unrestricted replacement for hard and soft tissues such as titanium skull plates used in cranioplasty. This work entails the selection of materials compatible to the replacement site and requires a comprehensive knowledge of biocompatibility, design and manufacturing techniques.

Pre-surgical Orthognathic Planning - This is an essential pre-requisite of reconstructive orthognathic jaw surgery. The work ranges from orthognathic model planning to major cranioskeletal surgical planning procedures utilising computer diagnostic and planning programmes and three-dimensional computer imaging techniques, including stereolithography.

The technical side of a maxillofacial prosthetists and technologists work is complemented by the need to be involved in direct patient care. Such patients have to come to terms with their deformities and require much support of an informed nature that in the main can be provided by the maxillofacial prosthetist, but requiring a considerable amount of time and patience with every individual patient and their deformity.

The maxillofacial prosthetist and technologist, although having a special relationship with the maxillofacial team, also provides essential support to several other specialties including ophthalmic surgery, ENT, plastic surgery and neurosurgery.