Validating cephalometric angular reconstruction for determining vertical dimension in edentulous patients

Accurate vertical dimension of rest (VDR) is critical in complete denture fabrication. Along with conventional phonetic and electromyographic (EMG) methods; cephalometric angular reconstruction (CAR) has recently been proposed as a reliable approach that minimizes reliance on patient dexterity. This in-vivo study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the CAR method by comparing it with conventional and electromyographic methods in determining VDR in edentulous subjects.

Twenty completely edentulous patients were enrolled. For each patient, VDR was measured using phonetic, CAR, and EMG methods. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 23 using one-way ANOVA and independent t-tests. A sample size of 20 provided 80% power with an effect size of 0.8 at a significance level of 0.05. One month after denture insertion, patient satisfaction was assessed with a structured questionnaire.

The mean VDR (cm) was 5.36 ± 0.61 for the conventional method, 5.35 ± 0.74 for CAR, and 5.64 ± 0.62 for EMG. Although the EMG method yielded slightly higher values, independent t-tests revealed no statistically significant differences between conventional and CAR (p = 0.962), conventional and EMG (p = 0.181), or CAR and EMG (p = 0.167). Patient satisfaction scores indicated favorable outcomes across all groups.

There was no statistically significant difference among the three methods, confirming that CAR can serve as a viable alternative to conventional and EMG approaches.

The CAR method may be particularly useful for patients with neuromuscular issues, psychological challenges, or limited cooperation during traditional VDR recording.