Correlation of previous experience, patient expectation and the number of post-delivery adjustments of complete dentures with patient satisfaction in a Brazilian population

Factors Influencing the Self-management of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Studies

BACKGROUND

Patients with breast cancer have an estimated 14% to 60% risk of developing lymphedema after treatment. Self-management behavior strategies regarding lymphedema are essential in preventing and alleviating the severity of lymphedema.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to evaluate qualitative research evidence on the potential influencing factors for self-management behaviors of lymphedema in patients with breast cancer.

METHODS

A systematic search of 10 electronic databases was conducted to identify qualitative studies on patient experience of lymphedema self-management. The following databases were included and appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist: Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Med Online, and Chinese Biomedical Database.

RESULTS

The literature search yielded 5313 studies, of which only 22 qualitative studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Five synthesized findings were derived encompassing personal characteristics, personal knowledge and experience, personal health beliefs, self-regulation skills and abilities, and social influences and support.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with breast cancer are confronted with many challenges when performing self-management of lymphedema. Therefore, it is important to recognize potential facilitators and barriers to further offer practical recommendations that promote self-management activities for lymphedema.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Healthcare professionals should receive consistent training on lymphedema management. On the basis of individual patient characteristics, tailored education and support should be provided, including transforming irrational beliefs, and improving related knowledge and skills, with the aim to promote self-management behaviors with respect to lymphedema.

Extra-oral assessment of conventional and CAD-CAM complete denture appearance by dental professionals and CRDP wearers: A randomized survey

INTRODUCTION

Complete removable dental prostheses' (CRDPs) appearance may vary between conventional and contemporary CAD-CAM manufacturing techniques.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this randomized survey was to analyze appreciation of CRDPs, manufactured with different techniques, by dental professionals and elder CRDP wearers.

METHODS

Four participant groups, comprised of undergraduate students (n=10), postgraduate residents (n=10), dental technicians (n=10) and elder CRDP wearers (n=10), evaluated the appearance of maxillary CRDPs manufactured by six different techniques: three conventional methods 1. flask-pack-press (FP), 2. Injection-molded (IM), 3. intrinsically colored natural gingiva finish before injection-molded (NG) and three CAD-CAM methods 4. milled base with bonded prefabricated teeth (M), 5. fully milled including milled teeth (FM) and 6. rapid-prototyped including printed teeth (P). A randomized, blinded survey included 18 pairwise comparative assessments and 12 individual judgements of the CRDPs on general appearance as well as pink and white aspects. Statistical analyses included parametric- and nonparametric tests as well as linear regression models; the level of statistical significance was set at p<.05.

RESULTS

NG was preferred by the professional groups but not by the elder CRDP wearers (p<.05). P was scored lowest by all four participant groups (p<.05). CRDP wearers' ratings were less severe and within a narrower range. The ratings of the two CAD-CAM milled CRDPs (M and FM) were ranked closer to FP and IM); the order of preference was different depending on the participant groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study revealed marked differences in the assessment of CRDP appearances between dental professionals and older CRDP wearers.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

A shared and informed approach to decision making concerning the CRDP appearance might foster denture acceptance and treatment success.

Multivariate analysis reveals oral health-related quality of life of complete denture wearers with denture adhesives: a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Purpose To investigate the difference in improvement of oral health-related quality of life (OHR-QoL) depending on the oral and denture conditions of a complete denture wearer when using a cream or powder type denture adhesive in a 10-center parallel randomized clinical trial.Methods Two hundred edentulous subjects who wore complete dentures were allocated to each of the three groups according to denture adhesive type: cream, powder, and control (saline solution). The materials were applied to the mucosal surface of the dentures for 4 days, and baseline data and data after the intervention were collected. OHR-QoL was assessed using the Japanese version of the modified Oral Health Impact Profile for Edentulous Patients (OHIP-EDENT-J) scale for outcome. Multivariate analysis was used to investigate improvements in OHR-QoL according to participant characteristics among complete denture wearers using these materials.Results OHIP-EDENT-J scores were significantly decreased in all groups after the intervention (p < 0.05); however, there were no statistically significant differences among the groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between the vertical height of the maxillary and mandibular alveolar ridge and OHIP-EDENT-J scores in the cream-type denture adhesive group. In contrast, there were no significant association between participant characteristics and OHIP-EDENT-J scores in the powder-type adhesive and control groups.Conclusions The use of denture adhesives could improve OHR-QoL for complete denture wearers. The cream-type denture adhesives may be expected to improve OHR-QoL in patients with poor residual ridge conditions compared with patients with good residual ridge conditions.

Patients’ perception about the outcomes of prosthetic treatment in Southern Brazil

Aim: this study assessed the patients’ perception of the outcomes of prosthetic treatment in a University of Southern Brazil. Methods: patients seeking for prosthetic treatment were invited to answer a questionnaire with 41 items about the potential risks, benefits, and consequences of no treatment. Answers were obtained according to a five-item Likert-scale varying from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). Sociodemographic data was included in the comparison. Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis (95%) compared data depending on the variable. Results: two-hundred twenty-five patients answered the questionnaire. Median age of participants was 45-54 years. The potential benefits were similar among participants irrespective of the variable adopted. The perception of risks was significant influenced by variables gender, age, education level, type of edentulous space, prior treatment with prosthodontics, type of prosthodontics, and prosthodontics usage in years. Consequences of no treatment were affected by age, prior treatment with prosthodontics, and prosthodontics usage in years. Conclusions: the study showed the fundamental importance of correct elucidation about the potential risks (negative perception) in the initial appointment for the studied population. Elucidation about the consequences of no treatment are relevant because some differences were seen into the variables. Prosthodontics patients from the city of Passo Fundo seem well informed about the benefits of the prosthetic treatment, besides the significant influence of some sociodemographic and prosthetic conditions. 

The association between denture self-satisfaction rates and OHRQoL - a follow-up study

Backgroud

The objectives of this study were to try to identify the key dimension in satisfaction from the combination of satisfaction clusters, and its effect on the change of OHRQoL(Oral Health-related Quality of Life) of elderly denture users.

Methods

This follow-up study was conducted in subjects aged 65 years and over. All participants (n = 2128) completed questionnaires before and approximately 6 months after receiving complete denture. Information obtained by questionnaire included demographic characteristics, patients’ self-satisfaction rate and OHRQoL. The 6 satisfaction dimensions (including speaking, stability, esthetic, chewing, doctor and general dimensions) were classified as 5 cluster groups, which is the group of not at all satisfied in all dimensions (NAS); only satisfied with doctor and general dimensions(SDG); moderate satisfaction group(MS); quite satisfied group(QS); the highly satisfied group(HS) by an analysis of PCA (Principle component analysis) and CA (cluster analysis). Multiple linear regression was adapted to estimate the association between satisfaction and the responsiveness of OHIP-7T (Oral Health Impact Profile).

Results

When compared to the cluster “NAS”, the greatest improvement of OHRQoL after treatment was found in the group “HS” (β = 7.31(6.26–8.36), followed by group “QS” (β = 4.71(3.54–5.87)), group “MS” (β = 4.33(2.92–5.74)) and group “SDG” (β = 3.25(2.10–4.41)). An increasing trend was detected in patient-rating satisfaction and OHRQoL. The satisfaction cluster group is an important factor of OHRQoL after adjusting for other confounders.

Conclusion

Psychological-related aspects is the greatest impacting dimension on OHRQoL among denture wearers in Taiwan elderly. Better communication from the dental professional team with denture patients would improve their OHRQoL.

Comparison of expectation and satisfaction among new and existing denture wearers and correlation of duration of previous denture-wearing experience to satisfaction in completely edentulous patients: A pilot study

Aim:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the patients’ expectation and satisfaction with complete dentures before and after the treatment concerning retention, mastication, phonetics, esthetics, and comfort among the first-time denture wearers and already denture wearers and to find the correlation between duration of denture-wearing experience and satisfaction.

Settings and Design:

Cross sectional survey .

Materials and Methods:

A questionnaire was given to the patient before the onset of the treatment, and ratings were given by the patient for expectation regarding retention, mastication, phonetics, esthetics, and comfort. Patient-related variables regarding previous denture experience and duration of wearing were also recorded. After the treatment was completed, the patient was asked to complete the same questionnaire to assess the satisfaction.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Descriptive statistics, frequency and percentage analysis, Wilcoxon signed- rank test, Mann–Whitney U-test.

Results:

Expectation and satisfaction were met for all the variables except mastication (P = 0.004) for first-time wearers and except mastication (P = 0.001) and comfort (P = 0.007) among existing denture wearers. However, no significant correlation was elicited between patient expectation and satisfaction in both these groups as the overall mean satisfaction percentage was similar. A clinical significance of P = 0.037 was seen with respect to the duration of denture-wearing experience among existing wearers. Regression model analysis showed a decreased satisfaction with increased duration of wearing (r = 0.396).

Conclusions:

Satisfaction and expectation were found to be almost the same irrespective of whether they are first-time wearers or existing wearers. With the increase in the duration of denture-wearing experience, the satisfaction of the patients decreased.

Prognoses of new complete dentures from the patient's denture assessment of existing dentures

OBJECTIVES

The aim was to determine prognostic factors affecting frequent post-delivery adjustments of new complete dentures using patients' assessments of existing complete dentures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 125 edentulous participants (56 men, 69 women; mean age, 76.4 years) who required new complete dentures evaluated existing dentures using the patient's denture assessment (PDA), a questionnaire regarding the self-assessment of dentures composed of 22 question items and containing six subscales: "function," "lower denture," "upper denture," "expectation," "esthetics and speech," and "importance." Moreover, the numbers of post-delivery adjustments of new dentures were recorded. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant factors for frequent adjustments of new dentures with five subscales of the PDA (excluding "importance"), level of mandibular ridge resorption, and age as independent variables.

RESULTS

The analysis showed that "function," "esthetics and speech," and level of mandibular ridge resorption were significant variables for a frequent number of post-delivery adjustments of new complete dentures.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that patients' assessments of existing dentures using the PDA might allow a prediction of prognosis for complete denture treatments. Additionally, low "function" scores and high "esthetics and speech" scores for existing dentures and high levels of mandibular ridge resorption were significant prognostic factors affecting frequent post-delivery adjustments of new complete dentures.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

It may be difficult for edentulous persons to adapt to new complete dentures, especially those who have complaints about mastication and swallowing with existing dentures and poor mandibular ridges, but are satisfied with esthetics and speech.

Influence of one- or two-stage methods for polymerizing complete dentures on adaptation and teeth movements

Abstract Introduction The quality of complete dentures might be influenced by the method of confection. Objective To evaluate the influence of two different methods of processing muco-supported complete dentures on their adaptation and teeth movements. Material and method Denture confection was assigned in two groups (n=10) for upper and lower arches according to polymerization method: 1) conventional one-stage - a wax trial base was made, teeth were arranged and polymerized; 2) two-stage method - the base was waxed and first polymerized. With the denture base polymerized, the teeth were arranged and then, performed the final polymerization. Teeth movements were evaluated in the distances between incisive (I-I), pre-molars (P-P), molars (M-M), left incisor to left molar (LI-LM) and right incisor to right molar (RI-RM). For the adaptation analysis, dentures were cut in three different positions: (A) distal face of canines, (B) mesial face of the first molars, and (C) distal face of second molars. Result Denture bases have shown a significant better adaptation when polymerized in the one-stage procedure for both the upper (p=0.000) and the lower (p=0.000) arches, with region A presenting significant better adaptation than region C. In the upper arch, significant reduction in the distance between I-I was observed in the one-stage technique, while the two-stage technique promoted significant reduction in the RI-RM distance. In the lower arch, one-stage technique promoted significant reduction in the distance for RI-RM and two-stage promoted significant reduction in the LI-LM distance. Conclusion Conventional one-stage method presented the better results for denture adaptation. Both fabrication methods presented some alteration in teeth movements.

Reliability and validity of a questionnaire for self-assessment of complete dentures

BACKGROUND

Demand for complete denture treatment is expected to rise over several decades. However, to date, no questionnaire on complete dentures, as evaluated by edentulous patients, has been shown to be reliable and valid. This study sought to assess the reliability and validity of Patient's Denture Assessment (PDA), which provides a multidimensional evaluation of dentures among edentulous patients.

METHODS

Patients, who had new complete dentures fabricated at the University Hospital of Dentistry, Tokyo Medical and Dental University through 2009 to 2010, were enrolled. The reliability of the PDA was determined by examining internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Internal consistency for all of the question items and the six subscales was measured using Cronbach's α and average inter-item correlation coefficients among 93 participants. For 33 of these participants, test-retest reliability was determined at a 2 month-interval using the interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and 95% confidence interval for the summary scores and the six subscale scores. The PDA was validated in 93 participants by examining the difference in the summary score and the six subscale scores of the PDA before and after replacement with new dentures by the paired t-test. Ability to detect change was also tested in 93 patients using effect size.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's α for the PDA ranged from 0.56 to 0.93. The average inter-item correlation coefficients ranged from 0.28 to 0.83. ICCs for the PDA ranged from 0.37 to 0.83. The paired t-test showed a significant difference between the summary score and the six subscale scores before and after replacement with new dentures (p < 0.05) and the effect size was 0.97.

CONCLUSIONS

The PDA demonstrated good reliability by assessing internal consistency and test-retest reliability. In addition, the PDA demonstrated good validity by assessing discriminant validity. Thus, the PDA could help dentists obtain a detailed understanding of the patients' perceptions in using their dentures.