Hi Colleen,

My area of expertise is in prosthetic reconstruction of maxillofacial defects so surgical reconstruction questions should be left with your surgeon. It is extremely important to know that if you choose to have surgical reconstruction, the results should be the same or better than what you have now. Know what you will gain and what you will loose. Sometimes it is better to put up with a prosthesis but has excellent speech and function rather than surgical repair with less than satisfactory speech. The reason why your surgeon has only three repairs is that in majority of the cases, prosthetic reconstruction has proven to be the most effective treatment option of all. If you send me a picture of your defect and the types of surgical reconstruction that your surgeon is considering, I will offer my best opinion. Better yet, your surgeon should discuss the pros and cons with your prosthodontist also. DP