Cross-sectional study of patients treated with removable partial dentures with special reference to the caries...

Thirty-four patients provided with removable partial dentures (RPDs) were reexamined after 3 yr. Caries that had developed during the period were analyzed with regard to the following potential caries risk factors: Lactobacilli, Streptococcus mutans, flow rate and buffer pH of paraffin stimulated saliva, oral hygiene and daily sucrose intake. Of 436 initially intact surfaces 31 (7.1%) had decayed and/or were restored during the 3-yr period. Caries recurred in 26 (6.2%) out of 422 initially restored surfaces during the same period. The development of new or recurrent caries had no correlation to whether or not the surfaces affected were in contact with the RPDs. No single caries risk factor seemed to be sufficiently closely correlated to the number of caries lesions developed to be used alone in the selection of patients at risk. When the sum of assumed negative factors was used a correlation was found for the group as a whole between the number of negative factors and the development of caries. However predicting the development of caries in any individual case seems to be more complicated.