CAD-CAM Complete Removable Dental Prostheses: A Pilot Study Evaluating a Novel System Using a Bicolored Monolithic...

Area of Science:

• Dental Materials Science
• Prosthodontics
• Digital Dentistry

Background:

• Complete dentures are crucial for oral function and aesthetics.
• Traditional denture fabrication can be time-consuming and technique-sensitive.
• Digital workflows offer potential for improved efficiency and predictability in prosthodontics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the esthetic and clinical outcomes of monolithic digital complete dentures.
• To assess dentures fabricated from two-colored, shell-geometry Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) disks.
• To explore patient-reported outcomes and prosthetic maintenance.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Biofunctional Prosthetic System workflow for manufacturing complete dentures.
• Assessed primary outcome of esthetic appearance via pink-white transition accuracy and esthetic scores.
• Evaluated secondary outcomes including oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), denture satisfaction index (DSI), masticatory performance (MP), maximum bite force (MBF), and bite pressure (BP).

Main Results:

• Dentures fabricated from two-colored PMMA disks demonstrated high esthetic scores, surpassing previous dentures.
• Significant improvements were observed in maximum bite force (MBF) and bite pressure (BP) (p<0.05).
• Minor deviations in the white-pink transition were noted in some prostheses, but overall esthetics were positively received.

Conclusions:

• The two-colored shell-geometry resin disk design is suitable for CAD/CAM complete denture manufacturing, achieving favorable esthetics.
• The novel digital denture system shows potential as a viable treatment modality with positive patient-reported and clinical outcomes.
• Further research is warranted to validate these findings in larger cohorts.