The randomized shortened dental arch study (RaSDA): design and protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Various treatment options for the prosthetic treatment of jaws where all molars are lost are under discussion. Besides the placement of implants, two main treatment types can be distinguished: replacement of the missing molars with removable dental prostheses and non-replacement of the molars, i.e. preservation of the shortened dental arch. Evidence is lacking regarding the long-term outcome and the clinical performance of these approaches. High treatment costs and the long time required for the treatment impede respective clinical trials.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>This 14-center randomized controlled investigator-initiated trial is ongoing. Last patient out will be in 2010. Patients over 35 years of age with all molars missing in one jaw and with at least both canines and one premolar left on each side were eligible. One group received a treatment with removable dental prostheses for molar replacement (treatment A). The other group received a treatment limited to the replacement of all missing anterior and premolar teeth using fixed bridges (treatment B). A pilot trial with 32 patients was carried out. Two hundred and fifteen patients were enrolled in the main trial where 109 patients were randomized for treatment A and 106 for treatment B. The primary outcome measure is further tooth loss during the 5-year follow-up. The secondary outcome measures encompassed clinical, technical and subjective variables. The study is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation, DFG WA 831/2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-5).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The particular value of this trial is the adaptation of common design components to the very specific features of complex dental prosthetic treatments. The pilot trial proved to be indispensable because it led to a number of adjustments in the study protocol that considerably improved the practicability. The expected results are of high clinical relevance and will show the efficacy of two common treatment approaches in terms of oral health. An array of secondary outcome measures will deliver valuable supplementary information. If the results can be implemented in the clinical practice, the daily dental care should strongly profit thereof.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under ISRCTN68590603 (pilot trial) and ISRCTN97265367 (main trial).</p

Differences in functional outcomes for adult patients with prosthodontically-treated and -untreated shortened dental arches : a systematic review

This review examined differences in functional outcomes and patient satisfaction when shortened dental arches are left untreated compared to their restoration to complete arch lengths with different prosthodontic interventions. Methods: A protocol was developed according to the criteria for a systematic review. All relevant databases were searched to identify appropriate clinical trials regardless of language or publication status. Predetermined eligibility criteria were applied, trial quality assessed and data extracted for each study. Relevant outcomes assessed were: functioning ability, patient satisfaction and harmful effects on oral structures. Results: Searches yielded 101 articles: 81 from electronic databases and 20 from reference lists of retrieved articles (PEARLing searches). Sixty-nine citations were assessed for eligibility after removing 32 duplicate records. After reading titles and abstracts, a total of 41 records were excluded and the full-texts of the remaining 28 records were read. Only 21 records were included for the SR because 7 records were excluded after reading the full-text reports. These 21 records report the outcomes of four randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and one non-randomized clinical trial (CT) which were pre-specified and used for this review. No on-going studies were found and no eligible studies were excluded for failure to report the reviewer’s pre-specified outcomes. Outcomes were reported in the retrieved 21 articles. A narrative explanation of the prespecified outcomes is reported for the 3 comparison groups (which were based on the different interventions used for the individual clinical trials). The shortened dental arch as a treatment option is encouraging in terms of functioning, patient satisfaction and cost-effectiveness. By using only high quality studies it was expected that the results would be more reliable when making conclusions and recommendations, but some of the included studies had to be downgraded due to methodological errors.Web of Scienc

Impacto do número de dentes presentes no desempenho de atividades diárias: estudo piloto Impact of the existing tooth number on daily performance: pilot study

Com o objetivo de estabelecer a relação entre os aspectos relacionados ao número de dentes presentes na cavidade bucal e o impacto no desempenho diário,foi realizado um estudo piloto com 75 pacientes que foram divididos em três grupos:arco curto,arco completo e desdentado. Para avaliar o impacto, foi utilizado o IODD (índice dos impactos odontológicos no desempenho diário). Os resultados evidenciaram que 16% dos pesquisados tiveram pelo menos uma atividade diária afetada. Embora não tenha sido registrada diferença significante entre os grupos em relação a cada uma das atividades, destaca-se que o percentual dos que tiveram a atividade mais afetada foi menos elevado no grupo de arco completo, para as atividades mastigar,falar/pronunciar palavras claramente e sorrir; e o menor percentual de atividades afetadas ocorreu no grupo desdentado, para as atividades limpar a boca/escovar os dentes e dormir. Em relação à média do IODD, esta foi menor no grupo com arco completo e foi similar entre os outros dois grupos. As médias das variáveis frequência e severidade dos impactos foram menos elevadas no grupo arco completo e tiveram valores aproximados nos outros dois grupos. Com base nos resultados, pôde-se concluir que não foram registradas diferenças significativas entre os grupos em relação a cada uma das atividades diárias afetadas.<br>To establish the relation between the aspects associated to the number of the teeth and the impact on daily performance it was realized a pilot study with 75 voluntary patients that had been divided in three groups: short arch, complete and toothless. To evaluate the impact the IODD was used (Index of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance). The results had evidenced that 16% of the participants had at least one daily activity affected. Although it have not been registered significant difference between the groups in relation to each one of the activities, the percentage that the complete arch group was less affected with the activity: to chew, to speak/to pronounce words and to smile clearly, on the other hand the activities that had less affected the toothless group were: to clean the mouth/teeth and to sleep. In relation to the mean of the IODD, that was lower in the group with complete arc and it was similar between the others two groups. The means of the variables: frequency and severity of the impacts were less in the group with the complete arch and had values approached in the others two groups. Based on the results, could be concluded that no significant differences were registered between the groups in relation to each one of the affected daily activities