[Epidemiologic aspects of the edentulous mouth (II). General and local features of the totally edentulous mouth].

UNLABELLED

PREMISES AND AIM: The study wants to reveal the general and local clinical aspects, which may accompany the completely edentulous mouth and create difficulties in treatment.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The clinical and statistical study was carried out on 40 edentulous patients; we analyzed general aspects (the present medical status, the patient's medication and its effects) and local aspects (the etiology, the type of previous denture treatment, the type and number of denture's repairs, the extent of the residual ridge resorption, the relationship between residual ridges), the total difficulty of the treatment.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

80% of the edentulous patients suffered from general diseases, more frequent from cardiovascular, digestive, metabolic, renal, rheumatic diseases. 73% of the edentulous patients received daily medication, which generated in 30% of cases a decrease of the saliva volume. The demand for prosthetic treatment was greater for the recent edentulous patients (less then 1-2 years of edentulousness) or for those who lost their teeth more then 6 years ago. The majority of patients over 70 years are completely bimaxillary edentulous patients, 68% of them had previous bimaxillary dentures. We found the bone resorption moderate (50% of cases) and severe (33% of patients), the relationship of the residual ridges inverse in the anterior and posterior zones (60% of patients) and normal in the anterior zone and inverse in the posterior zone (28%). The difficulty of the treatment was frequently 3Pd degree for the maxilla and 4t' degree for the mandible (the maximum degree of difficulty).

CONCLUSIONS

The completely edentulous patient presents a number of general and local modifications, which increase the difficulty of the treatment, demand supplementary therapeutic procedures, and increase the total cost. The modifications of the oral structures demand specific therapeutic procedures, and in some cases the frequent renewal or adaptation of dentures (every 3-5 years); all those costs must be took over by the insurance company, because of their social status (pensioners).