Cross-sectional study of the periodontal status of removable partial denture patients

Thirty-four patients, 18 men and 16 women with a mean age of 62 years, provided with removable partial dentures were reexamined after 3 years. Approximately 92% of the dentures were bilateral distal-extension prostheses. The periodontal parameters registered were (1) oral hygiene, (2) gingival inflammation, (3) pocket depth, and (4) tooth mobility. Fourteen of the patients had followed the recommendation to visit a dentist for regular checkups at least once a year. For all periodontal parameters, the results were somewhat better for those patients who had regular checkups than for those who had not. The results for the regularly checked patients were similar to those of the patients in an earlier longitudinal study from the same clinic after a corresponding period of time. Thus the good results obtained in the longitudinal study were duplicated 10 years later in this cross-sectional study.