Comprehensive Analyses of Masticatory Function in Maxillectomy Patients with Functioning Removable Prostheses: A...

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Prosthodontics
• Rehabilitative Dentistry

Background:

• Maxillectomy, the surgical removal of the maxilla, significantly impacts oral function.
• Removable prostheses are crucial for restoring function in maxillectomy patients.
• Assessing masticatory function is vital for evaluating prosthesis success and patient quality of life.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively evaluate masticatory function in maxillectomy patients using functioning removable prostheses.
• To identify factors correlating with and predicting masticatory function in this population.
• To explore the influence of tumor therapy on oral function.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cross-sectional study design.
• Extraction of data from medical charts, including patient profiles, oral function measurements, and tumor therapy history.
• Statistical analysis including correlation analysis and stepwise conditional logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Median masticatory function (138.0 mg/dL) exceeded the oral hypofunction threshold (100.0 mg/dL).
• Moderate correlations found between masticatory function and remaining teeth, occlusal supports, and maximum occlusal force (p < 0.01).
• Number of functioning occlusal supports identified as a significant predictive factor for masticatory function.

Conclusions:

• Masticatory function in maxillectomy patients with prostheses is influenced by several oral factors.
• The number of functioning occlusal supports is a critical determinant of masticatory efficiency.
• Tumor therapy factors did not significantly affect masticatory function in this cohort.