Dr Nathalie Vosselman - DDS

Maxillofacial Prosthodontist, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Center for Special Dental Care, University Medical Center Groningen.

Title: The prosthodontic oncology interface - Prosthetic rehabilitation following resective head and neck cancer surgery.

Aims and objectives:
Malignant tumours present a challenge to the multidisciplinary head and neck cancer team, striving to achieve both curative and reconstructive solutions while addressing rehabilitative needs. Resections in this region can lead to complex oral and facial defects, including the loss of critical structures such as the eye, nose, maxillary or mandibular bone, and dentition. Achieving optimal functional reconstruction of craniofacial defects may entail a surgical approach involving microvascular free tissue transfer and implant placement, supporting highly complex prosthetic rehabilitation. A combined and complete virtual resection, reconstruction,  and prosthetic rehabilitation planning will enable the maxillofacial prosthodontist to follow a digital prosthodontic workflow and to make balanced decisions with the multidisciplinary Head and Neck Oncology team to shape and outline the prosthetic and dental rehabilitation in line with the surgical options. The mutilating nature of resection surgery underscores the critical need for rapid prosthetic recovery and the capability to work toward a predictably planned outcome. Harnessing 3D techniques and collaboration among diverse experts maximizes the potential for rehabilitating this vulnerable patient group. This lecture will focus on virtual planning techniques and prosthetic 3D workflows within the field of head and neck oncology. It will include data from several published studies conducted at the University Medical Centre of Groningen, alongside illustrative cases to demonstrate the treatment approaches.

Biography:
Nathalie Vosselman is Head of the Centre for Special Dental Care at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG). She studied dentistry at the University of  Amsterdam and graduated in 2003. She started her private dental practice in Haarlem in 2004 were she mainly provided complex restorative and prosthetic dental care for 16 years. Following completion of her training in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics at the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in the UMCG she earned a staff position. As maxillofacial consultant for the Head and Neck Centre she primarily focuses on oral and facial rehabilitation and centered her PhD research on the subject of 3D workflows in prosthetic rehabilitation of Head and Neck oncology patients.