Freud’s mouth prosthesis

Freud was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw and mouth in 1923 and spent the last 16 years of his life suffering from the condition. These prostheses covered part of Freud’s palate, gums and teeth after a radical operation was performed to remove part of the upper jaw and soft palate. This extended Freud’s life dramatically but the pain and discomfort was a high price to pay. Freud referred to this prosthesis as “the monster”, though still continued to smoke his cigars.