Influence of lower complete denture use on masseter muscles and masticatory function: A longitudinal study

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Oral Rehabilitation

Background:

• Edentulism significantly impacts mastication, food choices, and masticatory muscle mass.
• Elderly individuals with missing lower teeth often experience reduced oral function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess masticatory function and oral perception in individuals without lower dentures.
• To determine if new upper and lower complete dentures (CDs) improve these oral functions.

Main Methods:

• 15 edentulous seniors with only upper CDs received new upper and lower CDs.
• Evaluations included masticatory performance (X50), masseter thickness (MT), oral sensorial ability (OSA), and maximum tongue pressure (MTP) at baseline and 1, 3, 6 months.
• Statistical analysis involved repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey-Kramer posthoc tests.

Main Results:

• Masticatory performance (X50) and maximum tongue pressure (MTP) initially decreased but stabilized.
• Masseter thickness (MT) increased significantly after 3 months at rest and after 1 month during maximum voluntary contraction.
• Oral sensorial ability (OSA) showed no significant changes, and no correlation was found between OSA and MTP.

Conclusions:

• New upper and lower complete dentures enhance masticatory performance and masseter thickness in edentulous elderly individuals.
• Despite improvements in chewing mechanics, new dentures negatively affected maximum tongue pressure.
• The study highlights the complex effects of complete dentures on oral function in the elderly.