Characteristics of speech function in the process of patients getting used to removable dentures

Abstract

Relevance. The majority of elderly and senile patients in the Russian Federation still use removable acrylic dentures, which is associated with the economic problems of the elderly. However, there are few studies devoted to the study of the effect of such dentures on the quality of speech function. Objective. Evaluation of quality of speech function in the patients with partial and complete tooth loss during the adaptation to the removable dentures including using by patients new home-made adhesive cream for denture fixation. Materials and methods. Overall 111 (33 male and 78 female) elderly patients with partial (63) and complete (48) tooth loss were examined and were divided into 4 study groups. Groups 1 and 2 included patients with partial tooth loss and groups 3 and 4 included patients with total tooth loss. There were also examined 17 elderly people who had no defects of dentition and formed a control group. The defects of dental rows in the patients of groups 1–4 were eliminated by making removable dentures. At the same time, during the adaptation period, patients in groups 2 and 4 of the study used a new domestic adhesive cream for fixing dentures. Before treatment and during the adaptation period, the quality of speech function of the patients was studied. Results. It was found that with preservation of the integrity of the dental rows in the elderly people a high quality of speech is observed. Loss of teeth leads to a decrease in the quality of speech function, especially in patients with partial loss of teeth in the anterior part of the jaw or front teeth on both jaws. By the middle of the adaptation period, the quality of speech function had improved in all patients examined, both with partial and total tooth loss. Use of the adhesive cream by patients provided a reliably better quality of speech function with partial and full removable acrylic dentures, which was characterised as «high» at the end of the adaptation period. Conclusion. On the basis of the conducted research, home-made adhesive cream for denture fixation can be recommended to patients with the purpose of optimization of the adaptation period to removable acrylic dentures as well as for permanent use, which will improve not only fixation and stabilization of dentures, state of the prosthetic bed mucosa, but also the quality of speech function.