Patients' satisfaction and functional assessment of existing complete dentures: correlation with objective...

Area of Science:

• Dental Prosthodontics
• Biomaterials Science
• Oral Rehabilitation

Background:

• Evaluating the success of complete dentures is complex, involving patient satisfaction and clinical assessment.
• Objective measures of masticatory function are crucial for understanding the functional outcomes of prosthetic rehabilitation.
• The relationship between subjective patient reports, dentist evaluations, and objective masticatory performance remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between patient satisfaction and dentist's assessment of complete dentures.
• To correlate patient and dentist assessments with objective measures of masticatory function.
• To explore the impact of posterior tooth wear on masticatory performance.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-eight edentulous individuals wearing complete dentures for at least six months participated.
• Patient satisfaction was assessed using a visual analogue scale (0-100).
• Dentist evaluation scored dentures on functional aspects (0-9).
• Tooth wear was assessed visually.
• Masticatory performance and swallowing thresholds were measured using Optocal artificial food and sieve analysis.

Main Results:

• Mean patient satisfaction was 49.1; median dentist score was 6.
• No significant correlation was found between patient and dentist assessments (P>0.05).
• Masticatory performance and swallowing thresholds showed no significant correlation with patient or dentist evaluations.
• Excessive posterior tooth wear did not significantly affect food comminution.

Conclusions:

• Patient and dentist assessments of complete dentures are not correlated.
• Neither patient nor dentist evaluations correlate with objective masticatory function measures.
• Further research is needed to understand the multifaceted nature of denture success and patient-reported outcomes.