[Esser (1877-1946) and the dawn of maxillofacial prosthetics in The Netherlands]

A short historical review is presented of the development from simple facial plates towards complex maxillofacial prostheses. There was an impetuous demand for extended development of this type of prostheses during World War I. The Dutch plastic surgeon Esser developed the skin-graft-inlay technique facilitating in a relative easy way extensive maxillofacial reconstructions. The technique was published in English and German and was soon used by surgeons on both sides. The combined training of Esser in medicine and dentistry was advantageous for the development of the technique.