Effectiveness of prosthodontic intervention in patients with Parkinson's disease

Oral health plays a crucial role in maintaining the general health of an individual. Parkinson disease (PD) has known to disrupt the oral functions. Prosthetic rehabilitation can be done in these patients. However, there is scarcity of literature to assess the effectiveness or impact of rehabilitation with prosthesis either fixed or removable on various oral functions and quality of life (QoL) or satisfaction of PD patients. The purpose of this systematic study was to assess the effectiveness of prosthodontic rehabilitation in patients with PD.

The literature search was conducted in the PubMed and CINAHL database for the articles till 2024 in English language. An exploration of gray literature was also included through Google Scholar. Manual search in the references of the selected articles was also done for relevant articles. The methodological quality assessment of cohort studies was done using Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment form for Cohort Studies (NOS). Assessment of cross-sectional studies was done using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (tool) and aassessment of case series was done using JBI critical appraisal tool for case series.

A total of 6 articles were selected from PubMed, 1 from CINAHL, and 2 from Google Scholar. Four articles studied the masticatory efficiency. Oral perception and motor ability were analyzed in two articles. Oral Health QoL was assessed in four articles. One article studied the electromyographic activity.

Based on this systematic review, it can be suggested that prosthetic rehabilitation using fixed or removable prosthesis offer potential benefits in PD patients improving the oral functions and QoL. However, there is a dearth of long-term research on evaluation of impact of prosthetic rehabilitation in improving the oral function and QoL of PD patients.PROSPERO Registration: CRD42024570296.