Jaw Tumours
Benign and malignant tumours of the jaw — ameloblastoma, odontogenic tumours, and cancer involving the mandible.
What are Jaw Tumours?
Jaw tumours arise in the mandible (lower jaw) or maxilla (upper jaw) from a variety of tissues including bone, dental structures, and soft tissue. They range from entirely benign cysts to aggressive malignancies requiring extensive surgery and reconstruction.
Types of Jaw Tumours
Ameloblastoma is the most common benign jaw tumour. Despite being histologically benign, it is locally aggressive — invading bone, causing jaw expansion, and having a high recurrence rate after simple curettage. Wide surgical excision and jaw reconstruction is the recommended treatment.
Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is an aggressive cyst with a high recurrence rate, associated with Gorlin syndrome in multiple cases. Requires careful surgical management.
Oral cancer involving the jaw — squamous cell carcinoma of the gum, floor of mouth, or cheek may invade the underlying jawbone, requiring segmental mandibulectomy and reconstruction.
Osteoradionecrosis — jaw bone death following radiation therapy. Not a tumour but a serious complication requiring surgical management including free-flap reconstruction in severe cases.
Jaw Reconstruction
When a segment of jaw is removed, reconstruction uses a fibula free-flap — a segment of leg bone transplanted to the jaw with its own blood supply. Dental implants are placed at the time of surgery (jaw-in-a-day), with final prosthetic loading approximately one year after completion of radiotherapy.
For detailed information about jaw reconstruction, visit drnarayana.in/jaw-reconstruction
Dr. Narayana Subramaniam
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