[Influence of wearing complete dentures on body balance in edentulous elderly]

The influence of wearing complete dentures on body balance of edentulous elderly was examined in this study. Eight edentulous volunteers (5 females and 3 males) who were satisfied with their new dentures participated in the study. Static and dynamic balance were compared between subjects with and without dentures. To evaluate static balance, path length of spontaneous postural sway with eyes closed was measured for 60 seconds using a stabilometer. To evaluate dynamic balance, gait cycle, gait velocity, and stride length during 15 meters of free gait were measured using a newly-developed gait-cycle-analyzing device and gait-speedometer. The data analysis showed that path lengths of subjects when wearing complete dentures significantly decreased compared to subjects without dentures (p < 0.05). Subjects when wearing complete dentures performed significantly faster and more stable gait compared to subjects without dentures (p < 0.05). Significant increases were concurrently observed in frequency of gait cycle and stride length (p < 0.05). The results suggested that the presence of an established occlusal vertical dimension had an influence not only on static balance but also on dynamic balance of the subjects. It was concluded that for edentulous elderly, wearing complete dentures may enhance body balance rather than not wearing a complete denture.