Loss of natural dentition: multi-level effects among a geriatric population

To quantify the impact of edentulousness on residual ridge volume, denture stomatitis (DS), as well as oral health behaviours among geriatric denture-wearers.

Residual ridge resorption (RRR) is the primary intraoral complication of complete edentulism, but individual variation among geriatric patients has been observed.

Data collection relied upon a 10-year retrospective chart review of all complete denture-wearing geriatric patients presenting at the Removable Prosthodontics Clinic, Dental School of Athens, between 1993 and 2002. Analyses relied on descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate methods based on ordinal logistic regression.

A total of 873 records of geriatric patients (age mean = 72; median = 70; range = 65-95) comprised our analytical sample. Subjects' mean (SD) time since edentulation was 7.7 (10.2) years. Eleven percent were diagnosed with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). While 28% of patients reported cleaning their dentures at least daily, 6% presented with denture stomatitis (DS). Each added year of edentulism increased the odds of mandibular RRR: OR (95% CI) = 1.05 (1.03, 1.07). Nightly denture wear was the strongest risk factor for DS. Finally, independent of age and sex, each year of being edentulous increased the odds of presenting with TMD: OR (95% CI) = 1.03 (1.01, 1.05).

Time since edentulation was strongly associated with mandibular but not maxillary RRR, as well as TMD development.