Avenues for rehabilitation of auricular defects

Irrespective of the cause, abnormalities in shape, size, and position of body organs are often perceived as looking wrong. This perception can subject the individual to significant peer ridicule and social ostracism. Rehabilitation of patients with auricular defects can either be done by reconstructive surgery or by prosthetic means. The article draws a comparison between the implant-supported prosthesis and reconstructive surgery, listing the benefits, limitations, indications and contraindications of both the techniques. As both the available techniques give excellent results in appropriately selected situations, the restorative team must present all the alternatives to the patient and choose judiciously the better of the two.