Effect of complete and partial removable dentures on chewing movements

Area of Science:

• Dental prosthetics
• Biomechanics of mastication
• Oral rehabilitation

Background:

• Edentulism, the loss of teeth, significantly impacts masticatory function.
• The effect of different prosthetic solutions, such as complete dentures (CD) and removable partial dentures (RPD), on the chewing cycle remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the kinesiographic parameters of the chewing cycle in patients wearing complete dentures (CD) versus removable partial dentures (RPD).
• To evaluate how different prosthetic types influence chewing efficiency and jaw movement dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Kinesiographic evaluation of chewing movements in 29 subjects (14 RPD, 15 CD) during consumption of peanuts and Optocal.
• Analysis of chewing cycle parameters including duration, movement angle, maximum velocity, and amplitude.
• Statistical analysis using ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test to determine significant differences between groups.

Main Results:

• The removable partial denture (RPD) group demonstrated significantly shorter opening, closing, and masticatory cycle times compared to the complete denture (CD) group (P < 0.05).
• Maximum chewing movement velocities were higher in the RPD group irrespective of the test material (P < 0.05).
• The chewing envelope area and amplitude were significantly smaller in the CD group (P < 0.0001), indicating reduced jaw excursion.

Conclusions:

• Removable partial denture wearers exhibit a more efficient and dynamic chewing pattern characterized by faster cycles and greater jaw excursions compared to complete denture wearers.
• Prosthetic type significantly influences the biomechanics of mastication, with RPDs facilitating a broader range of jaw movement.
• These findings have implications for optimizing prosthetic design and patient rehabilitation to improve masticatory function.