Is predicting masticatory function based on mandibular bone atrophy as defined by clinical and radiographic...

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Oral Rehabilitation

Background:

• Mandibular bone atrophy significantly influences prosthetic treatment choices.
• Standardization of clinical and radiographic parameters for classifying mandibular bone atrophy is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate how different mandibular bone atrophy classification methods affect masticatory function in complete denture (CD) wearers.
• To assess the relationship between atrophy parameters, CD retention, and stability.

Main Methods:

• Radiographic and clinical evaluation of mandibular bone atrophy in CD wearers using Cawood and Howell, Wical and Swoope, and Kapur classifications.
• Assessment of CD retention and stability using the Sato et al. method.
• Evaluation of masticatory function via the multiple sieve method, measuring masticatory performance (MP) indexes and efficiency.

Main Results:

• Atrophic participants showed significant radiographic differences across methodologies.
• Masticatory function was generally unaffected, except for Wical and Swoope classification, where atrophic participants had worse MP X50.
• Mandibular CD retention significantly impacted masticatory outcomes, particularly in atrophic individuals.

Conclusions:

• Kapur classification correlated with clinical atrophy, with severe cases showing poor CD retention and stability.
• Poor CD retention directly impaired masticatory function in atrophic patients.
• Radiographic evaluations alone are insufficient for predicting CD treatment outcomes regarding masticatory function.