Responsiveness of methods to evaluate chewing ability after removable partial denture treatments

Area of Science:

• Prosthodontics and Dental Materials Science
• Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs)
• Clinical Trial Methodology

Background:

• Assessing patient-reported outcomes is crucial for evaluating prosthetic treatment effectiveness.
• Instrument responsiveness is key for detecting meaningful changes in patient perception.
• Standardized measurement tools are needed for clinical practice and research in prosthodontics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the responsiveness of different instruments in assessing chewing ability post-removable partial denture (RPD) treatment.
• To compare the sensitivity of the visual analogue scale (VAS), food intake questionnaire (FIQ), and chewing difficulty scale (CDS) in detecting changes.
• To identify factors influencing instrument responsiveness in partially edentulous patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 248 partially edentulous patients undergoing RPD treatment.
• Administration of VAS, FIQ, and CDS pre- and post-RPD treatment to assess chewing ability.
• Statistical analysis of pre- and post-treatment scores and calculation of effect sizes (r) for each instrument.

Main Results:

• VAS and CDS demonstrated significant improvements in chewing ability post-RPD treatment (P < .05).
• FIQ did not show statistically significant changes in chewing ability (P = .16), even after controlling for covariates.
• Effect sizes indicated medium responsiveness for VAS (r = .54), weak for CDS (r = .14-.17), and absent for FIQ (r = -.09).

Conclusions:

• The 100-mm VAS and CDS are the most responsive instruments for detecting improved chewing ability after RPD treatment.
• Pre-treatment chewing impairment is associated with enhanced responsiveness of these measurement tools.
• The findings guide the selection of appropriate PROMs for evaluating chewing function in RPD recipients.