1975 Prosthetist Auckland

During his 16 years with the Plastic Surgical Dental Unit at Middlemore Hospital, Keith Pine arranged to sit City of Guilds of London intermediate and final dental technology certificates and an advanced certificate in maxillofacial technology which he passed with credit. He was head of the dental laboratory before being appointed to the specialist position of Prosthetist to the Plastic Surgical Unit in 1973. His achievements included the making of a number of teaching models for the unit’s museum, including a replica skull with attached musculature, and a series of models demonstrating cleft lift and palate surgery. While working in the unit he also invented a locking device used with cap splints to secure resected jaws and an orbital prosthesis with a moving eyelid.

Pine’s sliding locking plate is demonstrated on this model of the jaw. It is cast into silver cap splints which fix the jaw into predetermined positions following jaw resection surgery.

Keith Pine made this orbital prosthesis with moving upper eyelid in 1968. The patient could blink the eye by altering her breathing pattern but the device was not practical for everyday use.