[A case report of treatment for complex dysfunction of occlusion and mastication due to a maxillary fracture].
PATIENT: A case report of a 39-year-old man complaining of complex dysfunction of occlusion and mastication is presented. The patient came to Iwate Medical University Hospital following urgent hospitalization and treatment at a local hospital after catching his head in a forklift. The patient consulted the Second Prosthetic Department with the purpose of occlusal examination in April, 1994 and he was diagnosed with a malunited maxillary fracture. Afterwards, surgical correction was performed, but complex dysfunction of occlusion and mastication remained. Fixed prosthesis treatment was then planned and a dental prosthesis was set in April, 2000. His prognosis has since remained favorable. DISCUSSION: At the commencement of treatment, both surgery and orthodontic treatment were considered, but the patient desired early social rehabilitation. Therefore, a dental prosthesis was used to restore facial asymmetry and mandibular function. CONCLUSIONS: Rehabilitation of occlusal function was achieved by using a dental prosthesis. This facilitated early social rehabilitation and helped improve the patient's quality of life. Since there have been few reports of cases in which a dental prosthesis was used to correct occlusal disharmony after surgical correction due to maxillary fracture, long-term follow-up will be needed for this patient in order to increase knowledge about treatment strategies for such cases.