Naval Postgraduate Dental School (NPDS) faculty members Cmdr. Sasha Betz, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department, and Cmdr. Michael Andersen, Maxillofacial Prosthodontists Department, were recently awarded Best Technique Report by the American College of Prosthodontists’ 2025 Journal of Prosthodontics for their co-authored paper, “Dental Prosthesis Extraoral Indexing and Pick-Up Technique For Mandibular Full Arch Immediate Rehabilitation in Fibula Free Flap Reconstruction.”
The Best Technique Report award recognizes submitted research with outstanding scientific merit. The Journal of Prosthodontics is the official journal of the American College of Prosthodontists, a non-profit educational and scientific organization. They represent the dental specialty of prosthodontics and promote their national recognition. Betz and Andersen’s article was chosen after a review of manuscripts published in the Journal of Prosthodontics between August 2024 and July 2025, scored by the Journal’s Awards Committee, and selected by Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Radi Masri.
The inspiration to write this paper was stemmed from a shared commitment to improving quality of life for patients.
"We are in the healthcare field to help people return to a better quality of life as quickly and predictably as possible,” said Betz. “I’ve seen many patients treated for head and neck diseases, such as benign tumors or malignancies, without any consideration for their dental rehabilitation afterward. Although patients may be cancer-free after their surgery, they are often left with debilitating, lifelong oral and dental challenges that severely impact their ability to eat and speak. This technique was developed by our team at Naval Medical Center San Diego to support the overall well-being of these head and neck patients by not only placing the donor fibula bone in a restorative position but also by enabling the correct placement of dental implants and 3D-printed teeth with precision. These ‘jaw in a day’ surgeries require many elements to align perfectly in one procedure, and this technique helps integrate those pieces for the team in the operating room."
Their research process began with a comprehensive literature review of techniques used over the years to achieve dental rehabilitation in maxillofacial reconstructive patients.
"In contrasting with these various techniques, I was able to emphasize the benefit of our new device,” said Andersen. “Then, I gave a detailed step-by-step description of a case where we used this procedure with the goal that someone reading the article would be able to recreate our process. Images from our surgical plan and intraoperative photos were used to illustrate each step. Finally, I summarized the aspects of the device that we have found to be beneficial."
Betz and Anderson both hope that readers recognize the significant clinical advantages of their technique. This method allows the dental implants, fibula donor flap, and 3D-printed teeth to all be connected while the construct is still on the leg, completely avoiding complex intraoral procedures during this stage.
“The key takeaways are the three main benefits this provides: it saves a great deal of time in the operating room, it decreases the flap's ischemia time, and most importantly, it significantly accelerates the patient's overall restoration timeline,” said Betz. “Secondarily, I hope this publication stimulates more creative thinking and inspires other clinicians to develop new, innovative techniques to further optimize patient outcomes."
NPDS, a directorate of Naval Medical Leader and Professional Development Command, provides advanced postgraduate education to develop expert clinicians and leaders for the Dental Corps. Building on a foundation of clinical excellence, research, and operational relevance, NPDS offers a comprehensive portfolio of advanced residency training programs including Comprehensive Dentistry, Endodontics, Maxillofacial Prosthetics, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Orofacial Pain, Periodontics, and Prosthodontics. These programs integrate advanced clinical care, cutting-edge research, and operational relevance, preparing residents to deliver world-class care and strengthen Navy Medicine’s readiness and leadership for the future.
| Date Taken: | 01.20.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.21.2026 10:39 |
| Story ID: | 556451 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NPDS Faculty Members Awarded Best Technique Report, by PO1 Heath Zeigler, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
