Location of main occluding areas and masticatory ability in patients with implant-supported prostheses

Analysis of the relevant factors associated with oral health-related quality of life in elderly denture wearers

PURPOSE

The purpose of the present study was to explore the factors related to oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in elderly patients who underwent prosthetic treatment with removable dentures through several objective and subjective examinations and to analyze their interrelationships.

METHODS

The current study involved 78 denture wearers, aged 65 years or above, who underwent treatment at the clinic of prosthodontics and undertook routine checkups. The present study used eight age-matched patients with healthy dentition as controls. The following items were evaluated: OHRQoL (Oral Health Impact Profile), main occluding area, maximal occlusal force, masticatory performance, and masticatory ability. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between the OHIP score and each item and multiple linear regression analysis with the backward elimination method was used to analyze the factors affecting the OHIP score (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

The OHIP summary score was significantly correlated with the number of occlusal supports, number of remaining teeth, maximal occlusal force, and the masticatory ability score. The multiple regression analysis revealed that the number of occlusal supports, the number of remaining upper teeth, whether the upper main occluding area was the remaining tooth or not, and the masticatory ability score were the significant independent variables that affected the OHIP summary scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study verified the relationship between the OHRQoL and the occlusion of remaining teeth or the items derived from the main occluding areas. The current results suggest that retaining the maxillary first molar is a key factor in the OHRQoL.

Determinant Factors in Locating Main Occluding Area on Dental Arch

The purpose of this study was to investigate which were the most important factors in determining the location of the main occluding area by comparing its site on the dental arch between patients treated with implant-supported prostheses and those with a shortened dental arch (SDA). Twenty-five patients with Eichner B1 occlusion were enrolled in the study. The molar region in each quadrant was always edentulous. Fifteen patients were treated with implant prostheses, while the remaining 10 patients had SDA. Each patient was instructed to clench a piece of temporary stopping in the occluding area that was preferably used during mastication. The main occluding area was determined by locating the tooth on which the temporary stopping rested during clenching. The main occluding area was located ipsilaterally to the edentulous side in the molar region more often in the implant patients than in the SDA patients. The results of the present study suggest that the most important factor in determining the main occluding area is the presence of bilateral rigid molar occlusal support.

Preservation of Hypermobile Teeth by Establishing Posterior Occlusal Support Using Implant Prostheses: A 5-Year Follow-Up

For patients with periodontally compromised, hypermobile teeth, implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (FDPs) or removable dentures are often used after extracting mobile teeth. The loss of native teeth may carry social consequences, depending upon the patient's age, state of health, and degree of social functioning. This report represents successful stabilization and preservation of questionable, hypermobile teeth that have been damaged by traumatic occlusion due to the loss of posterior support with a cross-arch splinted FDP, as well as the implementation of posterior support using implant-supported prostheses.