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Joseph M. Huryn, FAAMP
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Joseph M. Huryn, FAAMP Chief, Dental Service
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I am a maxillofacial prosthodontist/dental oncologist with over two decades of experience at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I am also an expert in the prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with defects/deficits of the face, jaws, and surrounding soft tissues, whether they are acquired due to cancer surgery or traumatic injuries, or whether they are a result of alterations in growth and development or congenital birth defects.
I provide intraoral prostheses for various defects of the hard and soft palate (obturators), resection appliances for reconstructed and non-reconstructed lower jaw defects, and palatal augmentation prostheses for tongue deficits. I work closely with our head and neck surgeons and plastic surgeons in planning surgical prostheses or any other dental intervention that I can provide in the operating room to improve or simplify their surgical procedures. This includes surgical obturators, dental extractions, and application of intermaxillary fixation ("wiring jaws together") to help the plastic surgeons in reconstructing the lower jaw. Postoperative or interim prostheses aid patients through their healing phase and any adjuvant therapies, such as radiation and/or chemotherapy. Once patients have recovered and healing is complete, definitive or more long-term prostheses are provided. I also provide various extraoral prostheses including ears, noses, eyes (ocular as well as orbital) and combination midfacial prostheses. I have pioneered the use of osseointegrated implants in cancer patients and have used implants to support intraoral and extraoral prostheses in select patients.
As a dental oncologist, I am concerned with the effects of oral/dental disease on various cancer treatment modalities, especially bone marrow/stem cell transplant and head and neck radiation, as well as the effects of such therapies on the oral cavity. Very often mundane dental problems can adversely affect the course of cancer therapy. A dental infection can become life-threatening in a patient whose immune system is severely compromised by high-dose chemotherapy. A thorough pre-treatment dental/oral assessment can minimize such complications. Conversely, head and neck radiation therapy can promote post-treatment dental disease and can result in osteoradionecrosis (ORN) if dental surgery is required in irradiated bone. At MSKCC, pre-treatment extraction of teeth with poor prognosis, the prescription of high-potency fluoride for patient self-application, and frequent dental follow-up have resulted in one of the lowest rates of ORN in the literature.
I am a Fellow of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, and Chairman of its Research Committee. Over the years, I have written multiple papers regarding how our various dental interventions have affected the quality of life of cancer patients and spoken nationally and internationally on maxillofacial prosthetics and dental oncology. I am Chief of the Dental Service at MSKCC, and I am proud to participate in the premier training program in Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Dental Oncology in the country.
Phone
212-639-7644
Education
DDS, New York University College of Dentistry
Residencies
Veterans Administration Medical Center (Brooklyn); Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Fellowships
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Clinical Expertise
Maxillofacial Prosthetics; Prosthodontics; Dental Oncology
Department & Service
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