Evaluation of psychological guidance impact on complete denture wearer's satisfaction

Factors Affecting Patient Satisfaction with Complete Dentures

Background

Rehabilitation of the edentulous patients has always been a challenge. The success of conventional complete denture therapy might be affected by several factors such as patients' age, personality, previous denture wearing experience, expectations, aesthetics, residual ridge form and anatomy, denture quality, the method of its construction, dentist experience, and dentist-patient relations.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare patient satisfaction with complete dentures provided by fourth and fifth year dental students and prosthodontists with a minimum of 5 years' experience at the University of Jordan Hospital 8 weeks after insertion.

Methods

Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 60 completely edentulous patients who received complete maxillary and mandibular dentures. Besides demographic questions, the questionnaire included questions that probed the patient's satisfaction with his maxillary and mandibular dentures in general using two types of scales.

Results

Results indicated that dentist experience does not affect patients' satisfaction with their complete dentures. Our results also indicated that patients who had previous dentures could adapt more easily and were generally more satisfied with their newly inserted dentures especially with regard to their chewing ability and comfort with their mandibular dentures. Gender also influenced patient satisfaction with complete dentures especially the part related to psychological and social disability.

Conclusions

Results of this study will help in further understanding factors influencing patient satisfaction with their complete dentures.

Evaluation of Oral Stereognosis in Relation to Tactile Ability and Patient Satisfaction

We investigated the oral stereognostic ability (OSA) of dentate individuals, conventional complete denture patients, and maxillary implant-supported denture patients with bar attachments. Stereognosis tests were carried out, and the relationship between OSA and patient satisfaction was assessed with a satisfaction survey: the Turkish version of the oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-TR-14). To compare differences in oral sensory function among individuals with natural dentition, complete denture wearers, and maxillary implant-supported denture wearers, tactile awareness (thickness perception threshold) and pressure awareness (threshold of lateral loading) were assessed. According to the results, the oral perception level of natural dentate patients was higher than that of the complete denture group and maxillary implant-supported complete denture group at the end of the study. There was no statistically significant difference in OHIP-TR-14 scores between the maxillary implant-supported complete denture group and the complete denture group ( P < .05). The control group perceived the applied lateral and vertical forces statistically earlier than the other groups ( P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between the complete denture and maxillary implant-supported denture groups in terms of the lateral pressure threshold or thickness tactile threshold ( P > .05). At the end of the study it was concluded that there was no correlation between oral perception levels and satisfaction in patients with complete dentures and patients with maxillary implant-supported complete dentures. The control group, compared with the complete denture and maxillary implant-supported complete denture groups, perceived the lateral and vertical forces statistically earlier than the other groups.

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.