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DENTAL TRIBUNE | February 2011 Clinical 9A before he went to work (Fig. 1b). In 1977, following another recur- rence of his disease coupled with spontaneous bleeding and aggrava- tion in his speech impairment, the IDF decided to once again send him back to Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City, where he was oper- ated on for a second time. This time they had to remove addi- tional surrounding bone and tissue, resulting in an even greater disfigure- ment. In 1979, Eskenazi succumbed to his devastating condition. Phantom sensations According to medical literature, there is an illusion of connectivity between our physical body parts and our brain. Following an amputation of a body part, an individual continues to feel the missing part and experience sen- sations such as body touch, pain, pres- sure and temperature.9 These sensations are called “phan- tom limb sensations” and Eskenazi experienced them on a regular basis. According to family records, fam- ily members were curious to see him scratch the area that used to be his right eye. When he was asked why he was scratching the gauze on his face, he replied that he “got an itch in his eye.” When his family members tried to argue that he lost his eye, he tried to explain that it felt like he had sand in his eye, and shrugged his shoulders. Conclusion Injuries to the head and face seem to fascinate the public more than other injuries. Over the years, we have learned about many cases similar to Eskenazi’s where someone “lost his or her face.” While some are related to devastating illnesses,10 others are war-, accident- or birth-related. Facial appearance affects a per- son’s ability to communicate and clearly embodies one’s self-esteem and character. Just think about having to look at oneself in the mirror daily. Loss of facial appearance brings with it difficult psychological effects, which makes re-entering life both at work and home very difficult.11 DT References 1. Bellis M. The History of Prosthet- ics. inventors.about.com/library/ inventors/blprosthetic.htmH (last viewed 8/17/2010). 2. Ozturk AN, Usumez A, Tosun Z. Implant-retained auricular pros- thesis: a case report. Eur J Dent, 2010 Jan.;4(1):71–4. 3. Reisberg DJ, Habakuk SW. A his- tory of facial and ocular prosthet- ics. Adv Ophthalmic Plast Recon- str Surg, 1990;8:11–24. 4. Beumer J, Curtis TA, Marunick MT. Maxillofacial rehabilitation: Prosthodontic and Surgical Con- siderations, ed 2. St Louis: Ishi- yaku Euroamerica, 1996:404. 5. Gurbuz A, Kalkan M, Ozturk AN, Eskitascioglu G. Nasal prosthe- sis rehabilitation: A case report. Quintessence Int, 2004;35:655– 656. 6. Tolman D, Desjardins R. Extra- oral applications of osseointe- grated implants. J Oral Maxillofac Surg, 1991;49:33–45. 7. Federspil PA. Craniofacial pros- theses for facial defects. HNO. 2010;58(6):621–31. 8. Parel S, Tjellstrom A. The United States and Swedish experience with osseointegration and facial prostheses. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants, 1991;6:75–79. 9. Flor H, Birbaumer N. Phantom limb pain: cortical plasticity and novel therapeutic approach- es. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol, 2000;13(5):561–4. 10.Lillard-Roberts S. In memory of Mark Tatum, 2005. Posted by www.webuddha.com. 11.Palmer C. Facial reconstruction research under way. ADA News 2008. AD Unbenannt-4 1 15.02.2011 10:39:52 Uhr • Dov M. Almog, DMD, prosthodontist, Chief Dental Service, VA N.J., Healthcare System • Stephen F. Bergen, DDS, prosthodontist, Chief Dental Service, VA N.Y. Harbor Healthcare System • Giselle Yap, DMD, maxillofacial prosthodontist, VA N.J. Healthcare System Dr. Dov Almog is a prosthodontist with more than 30 years of diversified professional experience in clinical, academic and research environments. His publications include articles on cone-beam CT, dental implants, carotid artery calcifications and practice management. You may contact him at: About the authors VA New Jersey Healthcare System 385 Tremont Ave. East Orange, N.J. 07018 Tel.: (973) 676-1000, ext. 1234 E-mail: dov.almog@va.gov