Quality of life and satisfaction of patients wearing implant-supported fixed partial denture: a cross-sectional survey of patients from Aracatuba city, Brazil

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life and satisfaction of patients wearing implant-supported fixed partial dentures.Materials &methodsA total of 106 patients were selected and submitted to clinical examination and collection of the demographic data for evaluation of the implant-supported fixed dentures conditions. All participants agreed to answer to the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-EDENT) questionnaire and another questionnaire about satisfaction with the implant-supported prostheses. The patients were classified into the following three groups for statistical analysis: patients wearing splinted implant-supported prosthesis (E), patients wearing single implant-supported prosthesis (U), and patients wearing single implant-supported prosthesis associated with splinted prosthesis (E+U). Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the answers between the groups, and a logistic regression model was measured to verify the relation between variables of the patients and the questionaries'items.ResultsThere were significant differences among groups (P=0.006) for discomfort during surgery itself of the satisfaction questionnaire. The marital status, groups, and hygiene condition were significant mainly for physical pain item.ConclusionsIt was concluded that the patients presented high level of satisfaction and quality of life for the most of the items evaluated as well as the groups showed similar results.

Prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient after a partial mandibulectomy

The treatment of orofacial tumors may cause facial deformities by losses of structures that affect basic functions, i.e. feeding, speech, and the reduction of patient self-steam. A white male patient was diagnosed with epidermoid cancer on the mandibular alveolar ridge with infiltration staging IV A. The patient was submitted to a mandibulectomy associated with a complete extraction of mandibular teeth. For rehabilitation, a conventional denture for the mandibular arch and a removable partial denture for the maxillary arch were fabricated. A correct occlusal adjustment and a satisfactory amount of alveolar bone was favorable for conventional dentures of the prostheses bases improve their retention and stability. After one year of follow-up, the patient was adapted to the prostheses, satisfied with their retention, and reported an improvement on his feeding. The prosthetic rehabilitation of patients after a partial mandibulectomy is essential for their self-steam. Conventional dentures may have their retention and stability improved if they are well fabricated, recorded and have a balanced occlusion. A correct occlusal adjustment and an adequate retention of the prostheses bases may improve their retention and stability. Patients without xerostomy and with a satisfactory amount of alveolar bone may have a favorable prognosis for conventional dentures.

Oral rehabilitation of severely worn dentition using an overlay for immediate re-establishment of occlusal vertical dimension

The aim of this study was to describe the treatment used in an elderly patient presenting with bruxism and dental erosion, with good gingival health and bone support, but with decreased occlusal vertical dimension (OVD). The oral rehabilitation of elderly patients presenting with bruxism in association with tooth erosion has been a great challenge for dentists. The loss of OVD, the presence of occlusal instability and the absence of an effective anterior guide due excessive dental wear, can damage stomatognathic system (SS) biology, the function and the aesthetics. In the first treatment stage, an overlay removable partial denture (ORPD) was fabricated for the immediate re-establishment of function and aesthetics. After a 2-month follow up, with the patient presenting no symptoms, a second rehabilitation stage was accomplished, with fixed and removable prostheses. Oral rehabilitation with an ORPD was able to re-establish the SS biology, but a correct diagnosis and treatment plan are essential for success. The ORPD is a non-invasive and reversible restoring modality for general dentists that allow the re-establishment of the patient's immediate aesthetics and function at low cost.

Influence of microwave disinfection on the dimensional stability of intact and relined acrylic resin denture bases

Statement of problem. Microwave irradiation has been suggested as a method to disinfect denture bases. However, the effect of microwave heating on the dimensional stability of the relined denture bases is unknown.Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the dimensional stability of intact and relined acrylic resin denture bases after microwave disinfection.Material and methods. A standard brass cast simulating an edentulous maxillary arch was machined and used to fabricate 2- and 4-mm-thick denture bases (n=200), which were processed with heat-polymerized acrylic resin (Lucitone 550). The 2-mm thick-specimens (n=160) were relined with 2 mm of autopolymerizing resin (Tokuso Rebase Fast, Ufi Gel Hard, Kooliner, or New Truliner). Distances between 5 removable pins on the standard brass cast were measured with a Nikon optical comparator, and the area (mm(2)) formed by the distance between 5 pins was calculated and served as baseline. During fabrication, the pins were transferred to the intaglio surface of the specimens. Differences between the baseline area and those subsequently determined for the specimens were used to calculate the percent dimensional changes. The intact and relined denture bases were divided into 4 groups (n=10) and evaluated after: polymerization (control group P); 1 cycle of microwave disinfection (MW); daily microwave disinfection for 7 days (control group MW7); water storage for 7 days (WS7). Microwave irradiation was performed for 6 minutes at 650 W. Data were analyzed using 2-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test (alpha=.05).Results. Intact specimens and those relined with Kooliner and New Truliner showed increased shrinkage after 1 (P=.05, .018, and .001, respectively) and 7 (P <.001, .003, and <.001, respectively) cycles of microwave disinfection. With the exception of specimens relined with Kooliner, intact specimens showed greater shrinkage than the relined specimens after 7 cycles of microwave disinfection.Conclusions. Microwave disinfection produced increased shrinkage of intact specimens and those relined with New Truliner and Kooliner.

Bonding strength between a hard chairside reline resin and a denture base material as influenced by surface treatment

Direct relining of dentures made with hard chairside reline resins is faster than laboratory-processed reline systems and the patient is not without the prosthesis for the time necessary to perform the laboratory procedures. However, a weak bond between the autopolymerizing acrylic reline resins and the denture base material has been observed. This study evaluated the effect of six different surface treatments on the bond strength between a hard chairside reline acrylic resin and ia heat-cured acrylic resin. Specimens of the heat-cured acrylic resin were divided into seven groups. one of these groups remained intact. In the other groups, a 10-mm square section was removed from the centre of each specimen. The bonding surfaces were then treated with (i) methyl methacrylate monomer, (ii) isobutyl methacrylate monomer, (iii) chloroform, (iv) acetone, (v) experimental adhesive and (vi) no surface treatment-control group. Kooliner acrylic resin was packed,into the square sections and polymerized. The bonding strength was evaluated by a three-point loading test. The results were submitted to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by a Tukey multiple range test at a 5% level of significance. No significant difference was found between the surface treatment with Lucitone 550 monomer or chloroform, but both were stronger than the majority of the other groups. The bond strength provided by all the surface treatments was lower than that of the intact heat-cured resin.

The effect of disinfectant solutions on the hardness of acrylic resin denture teeth

This investigation studied the effects of disinfectant solutions on the hardness of acrylic resin denture teeth. The occlusal surfaces of 64 resin denture teeth were ground flat with abrasives up to 400-grit silicon carbide paper. Measurements were made after polishing and after the specimens were stored in water at 37 degreesC for 48 h. The specimens were then divided into four groups and immersed in chemical disinfectants (4% chlorhexidine; 1% sodium hypochlorite and sodium perborate) for 10 min. The disinfection methods were performed twice to simulate clinical conditions and hardness measurements were made. Specimens tested as controls were immersed in water during the same disinfection time. Eight specimens were produced for each group. After desinfection procedures, testing of hardness was also performed after the samples were stored at 37 degreesC for 7, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days. Data were analysed using two-way analysis of variance (anova) and Tukey's test at 95% confidence level. According to the results, no significant differences were found between materials and immersion solutions (P > 0.05). However, a continuous decrease in hardness was noticed after ageing (P < 0.05). It was conclude that the surfaces of both acrylic resin denture teeth softened upon immersion in water regardless the disinfecting solution.

Evaluation of partially dentate patients' knowledge about caries and periodontal disease

Objective: This investigation evaluated the knowledge of dental caries and periodontal disease among removable partial denture (RPD) wearers.Method: A total of 127 partially dentate patients participated in this observational study. A structured questionnaire, which included eight questions referring to knowledge about aetiology and prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease, was developed in the local language (Portuguese) and used to collect the data of all the partial denture wearers. A descriptive analysis of data was performed by means of drafting tables.Results: The results demonstrated that 68.5% of patients interviewed had previously received information about oral health care. With regard to bacterial plaque, it was observed that only 34.6% reported having knowledge of this. Whereas, in relation to caries, 76.4% of the interviewees replied that they knew the meaning of this. Nevertheless, 28.3% referred to caries as a whole in the teeth, 16.5% as bad teeth and 9.4% bacteria/creatures on the teeth. Only 17.3% of the partially edentulous patients evaluated were shown to know what disease of the gingiva was.Conclusion: By means of the methodology applied, it could be concluded that the patients who wore RPDs presented deficient knowledge with regard to the prevention, aetiology and development of dental caries and periodontal disease.

Presença de leveduras do gênero candida na saliva de pacientes com diferentes fatores predisponentes e de indivíduos controle

Os microrganismos do gênero Candida são, em geral, comensais da cavidade bucal, mas, em determinados indivíduos e em situações específicas, podem transformar-se na forma parasitária, produzindo candidoses bucais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a presença das espécies do gênero Candida na saliva de indivíduos controle, comparando com pacientes que apresentavam diferentes fatores predisponentes. Foram avaliados 493 pacientes, divididos em 7 grupos: prótese total, prótese parcial removível, periodontite crônica de adulto, respiração bucal, aparelho ortodôntico fixo, aparelho ortodôntico removível e aparelho extrabucal. O grupo controle consistiu de 570 indivíduos que não apresentavam nenhum desses fatores, divididos em 2 grupos: infantil e adulto. Foram realizados o isolamento e a identificação das espécies do gênero Candida. Os resultados mostraram maior porcentagem de pacientes positivos para Candida nos grupos com fatores predisponentes em relação aos controles. Houve predominância de isolamento de C. albicans em todos os grupos, porém, os pacientes com fatores predisponentes apresentaram diversidade maior de espécies

Different methods of finishing and polishing enamel

Statement of problem. Highly polished enamel surfaces arc recommended for axial tooth surfaces that will serve as guiding planes and be contacted by component parts of a removable partial denture. There is little evidence to support the assumption that this tooth modification will provide accurate adaptation of the framework and prevent build-up of plaque.Purpose. The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the surface roughness of the tooth enamel, prepared to serve as guiding planes, with different polishing systems.Material and methods. Four different methods (designated A, B, C, and D) for finishing and polishing the prepared enamel surfaces of 20 freshly extracted third molar teeth were studied. Each method involved 3, 4, or 5 different steps. The roughness of each specimen was measured at the start of each method before recontouring, after recontouring, and after each step of the 4 finishing and polishing procedures. The 4 experimental finishing methods were applied after recontouring the axial surfaces (buccal, lingual, and proxinial) of each tooth. Thus the 20 teeth (60 surfaces) were finished and polished by use of 1 of the experimental methods. Surface roughness was measured with a profilometer (mum); the readings of the unpolished enamel Surfaces were recorded as control measurements. Results were statistically analyzed with one-way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's test at the 95% level of confidence.Results. The highest roughness mean values (14.41 mum to 16.44 mum) were found when the diamond bur was used at a high speed for tooth preparation. A significant decrease in roughness values was observed with the diamond bur at a low speed (P<.05). Analysis of the roughness values revealed that all polishing methods produced surface roughness similar to that of the corresponding control teeth.Conclusion. Within the limitations of this study, all finishing procedures tested effectively promoted an enamel surface similar to the original unpolished enamel.

Effects of chemical disinfectants on the transverse strength of denture base acrylic resins

The disinfection of dental prostheses by immersion in a chemical solution should be capable of rapid inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms, without causing any adverse effect on the denture base resins. This study evaluated the effect of disinfection immersion on the transverse strength of two heat-cured resins. The denture base resins (Lucitone 550 and QC 20) were polymerized according to the manufacturers' instructions. After polymerization, the specimens were polished, and then stored in water at 37 degreesC for 50 +/- 2 h prior immersion in one of the following solutions for 10 min: 4% chlorhexidine, 1% sodium hypochlorite and 3.78% sodium perborate. The specimens were submitted to disinfection twice, simulating when dentures come from the patient and before being returned to the patient. Ten specimens were made for each group. The transverse strength was evaluated by a 3-point bend test. The flexural strength of the two denture base acrylic resins evaluated remained unaffected after immersion in the three solutions evaluated. In general, the QC 20 resin specimens exhibited lower transverse strength than the Lucitone 550 resin specimens, regardless of immersion solutions.

Composite occlusal surfaces for acrylic resin denture teeth

Acrylic resin denture teeth often exhibit rapid occlusal wear, which may lead to a loss of chewing efficiency and a loss of vertical dimension of occlusion. The use of metal occlusal surfaces on the acrylic resin denture teeth will minimize occlusal wear. Several articles have described methods to construct metal occlusal surfaces; however, these methods are time-consuming, costly, and sometimes considered to be unesthetic. These methods also require that the patient be without the prosthesis for the time necessary to perform the laboratory procedures. This article presents a quick, simple, and relatively inexpensive procedure for construction of composite occlusal surfaces on complete and partial dentures.

A clinical follow-up study of the periodontal conditions of RPD abutment and non-abutment teeth

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the periodontal conditions of removable partial denture (RPD) wearers, comparing direct and indirect abutment teeth, and the teeth not involved in the denture design before denture placement and 1 year later. Fifty patients (32 women and 18 men), average age 45, were assessed by the same examiner at the moment of denture insertion and 3, 6, 9 and 12 months later. The following items were verified in each assessment: probing depth (PD), plaque index (PI) and gingival index (GI). PD and PI data were evaluated by ANOVA test for linear trend followed by Tukey-Kramer post-test, while GI data were analysed by Friedman's test. Results showed that the teeth not involved in the denture design were the least affected for all variables studied. It was also verified that PD and GI mean values increased from the initial assessment to 1 year of RPD wearing in every group, but that only PI showed a significant increase. This study indicated that direct and indirect retainer elements tend to undergo more damaging periodontal effects associated with RPD wearing when compared with non-abutment elements. Plaque index values were significantly higher after 1 year of denture use.

Biofilm microbial communities of denture stomatitis

Introduction: Denture stomatitis is a common lesion that affects denture wearers. Its multifactorial etiology seems to depend on a complex and poorly characterized biofilm. The purpose of this study was to assess the composition of the microbial biofilm obtained from complete denture wearers with and without denture stomatitis using culture-independent methods.Methods: Samples were collected from healthy denture wearers and from patients with denture stomatitis. Libraries comprising about 600 cloned 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) bacterial sequences and 192 cloned eukaryotic internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region sequences, obtained by polymerase chain reactions, were analyzed.Results: The partial 16S rDNA sequences revealed a total of 82 bacterial species identified in healthy subjects and patients with denture stomatitis. Twenty-seven bacterial species were detected in both biofilms, 29 species were exclusively present in patients with denture stomatitis, and 26 were found only in healthy subjects. Analysis of the ITS region revealed the presence of Candida sp. in both biofilms.Conclusion: The results revealed the extent of the microbial flora, suggesting the existence of distinct biofilms in healthy subjects and in patients with denture stomatitis.

Evaluation of a new intraoral paralleling device for creating guiding planes: A pilot study

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the accuracy of a new intraoral paralleling device for creating proximal guiding planes for removable partial dental prostheses. Methods and Materials: Thirty gypsum casts were divided into two groups in which the proximal surfaces of selected teeth were prepared using either a surveying device (Group 1) or the new ParalAB paralleling device (Group 2). In each cast guiding planes were prepared on the distal surface of the maxillary left canine (A), on the mesial and distal surfaces of the maxillary left second molar (B and C), and on the distal surface of the maxillary right canine (D). Each prepared surface formed an angle related to the occlusal plane that was measured five times and averaged by one operator using a tridimensional coordinate machine. Results: The mean guiding plane angles (± standard deviation) for the prepared surfaces were A=91.82° (±0.48°, B=90.47° (±0.47°, C=90.21° (±0.76°, and D=90.50° (±0.73°) for the dental surveyor (Group 1) and A=92.18° (±0.87°), B=90.90° (±0.85°), C=90.07° (±0.92°), and D=90.66° (±0.76°) for the ParalAB paralleling device (Group 2). A two-way ANOVA, Tukey's, and Levène's tests (at p<0.05) revealed statistically significant differences among surfaces prepared by both groups and that one surface Conclusions: The ParalAB device was able to prepare parallel surfaces and despite significant difference between groups, the ParalAB presented a small deviation from absolute parallelism and can be considered a valid method to transfer guide plans in the fabrication of removable partial dentures. Clinical Significance: The preparation of suitable guiding planes on abutment teeth during the fabrication of removable partial dentures is dependent on the ability of the operator and requires considerable chair time. When multiple teeth are involved, achieving parallelism between abutment surfaces can be technically challenging, especially in posterior regions of the mouth. The ParalAB prototype intraoral paralleling device can aid the clinician during the preparation of accurate guiding planes with a minimum degree of occlusal divergence. © 2010 Seer Publishing LLC.

Estética en prótesis removibles

Nowadays, aesthetics is very appreciated in the social context and a attractive smile is the object of desire in most of patients requiring prosthesis treatment. In case of removable prosthesis, total or partial, this feature is more significant since some or all teeth may be absents. Implants leading to a significant improvement in relation to function and comfort of removable prosthesis users, but the aesthetics of these prostheses had little attention in the current scientific literature. Thus, the aim of present article was to make a review of the literature on the aesthetic features related to rehabilitation with removable prostheses. In present study we found as significant factors for the aesthetics in removable partial and total prostheses: Selection of artificial teeth and their arrangement, characterization of acrylic resin basis and also the types and location of retainers for the removable partial prostheses. We conclude that the involvement and the aesthetic knowledge during the appropriate planning of this process is responsibility of the professional.