Understanding the impact of removable partial dentures on patients' lives and their attitudes to oral care

Abstract

Introduction Due to a rising prevalence of removable partial denture (RPD) use, there is an unmet need to explore the psychological impact on patient wellbeing.Aim To assess the psychological effects of consumers losing teeth and receiving partial dentures to better manage their needs.Design Four market research surveys, undertaken on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, are described.Setting Surveys were conducted across the US, Japan, Malaysia, Colombia, Brazil, Poland and Italy.Materials and methods Quantitative/qualitative methods were used to gain knowledge regarding patients' experiences living with partial dentures.Results In a global market research survey involving 3,952 RPD wearers (RPDWs), 54% said that losing teeth was difficult to accept, 40% were concerned about their appearance, 32% were embarrassed about wearing dentures and 62% wished that more oral care education was available when they were younger. In another survey of >1,000 RPDWs, self-esteem was negatively impacted in 51% of respondents and 57% reported anxiety around dental visits.Conclusions Global market research confirmed that RPDWs can have emotional and practical needs that are not well understood/documented by dental healthcare professionals (HCPs). Consumer research can enhance understanding of patients' needs by dental HCPs and provide suggestions about how they may address them.

A study of the impact of solid cast removable dentures with silver electroplating on the condition of patients

“…The nonparametric Friedman test was used to compare the averages in more than two dependent groups (1,2,3). It shows the difference between the averages in the groups.…”

“…The first use of silver in dentistry has been documented since 1840 [3]. Silver, the natural biocide, is used in medicine since the time of Hippocrates to treat burn wounds because of its antibiotic and wound healing properties.…”

Alveolar ridge augmentation for implant placement in a growing patient

“…Fixed partial dentures are not the ideal treatment option at this age due to the need to prepare often virgin teeth. While removable prostheses could be a more feasible treatment option, they are intolerable to younger patients and reported to be associated with an increased incidence of caries and periodontal issues 1,2 . Furthermore, implant placement in growing children has been reported to be associated with occlusal disharmony over time, which could be attributed to the inability of the implants to follow the compensatory positional changes like natural teeth 3 .…”

Effect of Palatal Vault Depth on the Trueness of Metal Laser‐Sintered and Cast Cobalt‐Chromium Removable Partial Denture Frameworks

“…Millions of people around the world benefit from this form of treatment for enhancing their quality of life. 1 Cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) alloys are extensively used in RPD frameworks due to their inexpensive cost, acceptable physicomechanical characteristics, efficient corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. 2 Prototyping is a novel technology that relies on "layered manufacturing," in which a 3D standard tessellation language (STL) file of an object is broken into cross-sectional layer representations, and then a numerical input of these configurations is given to an automated fabrication machine to build the prototype.…”

“…Removable partial dentures (RPDs) are uncomplicated and cost‐effective prostheses extensively used to replace the missing teeth in partially edentulous patients to reestablish both esthetics and function. Millions of people around the world benefit from this form of treatment for enhancing their quality of life 1 . Cobalt‐chromium (Co‐Cr) alloys are extensively used in RPD frameworks due to their inexpensive cost, acceptable physicomechanical characteristics, efficient corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility 2 …”