Techniques for Evaluating the Fit of Removable and Fixed Prosthesis

The importance of an accurately fitting fixed prosthesis or a removable prosthesis is essential for the success of the restoration. Ill-fitting prosthesis may cause mechanical failures of the prosthesis, implant systems, or biologic complications of the surrounding tissue. There are several causes related to improper seating of the prosthesis. Some of which can be corrected and the others need to be repeated. Hence the clinician must carefully evaluate the adaptation of the prosthesis using the clinical techniques and combination of the available materials and evaluation methods to optimize the fit of prosthesis. This article reviews the various clinical methods that have been suggested for evaluating the fit of the fixed and removable prosthesis

Role of Self Care Practices and Denture Maintenance in Oral Health

Background: Edentulous patients seek treatment to restore their oral function and esthetics, so that they can eat and speak more easily and feel better about themselves. The dental prosthesis helps replacement of teeth and restores oral function and esthetics. For the success of the treatment and acceptance ofthe prosthesis, maintenance of the prosthesis by the patient is very important. The authors’ objective in this study was to analyze how selfcare practices in terms of oral hygiene habits, maintenance of dentures, type of prosthesis are affected by age, gender and education level. Materials and methods: The authors developed a written oral health questionnaire and administered it to 586 individuals in dental care centres in Mangalore, South India. They ollected demographic information as well as data on oral hygiene practices and prosthetic status. The data was compared using Chi-squared test and the value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The sample surveyed consisted of 586 participants (257 males and 329 females) of which 76 (13.0%) were with complete dentures, 312 (53.3%) with Fixed Prosthesis, 165 (28.2%) with Removable Partial dentures and 33 (5.5%) had a combination of the fixed and removable prosthesis. The study showed that denture cleansing habits, Oral hygiene habits, how prosthesis was worn, type of prosthesis were significantlyassociated with age and educational status of the subjects. Conclusion: Intensive population-directed strategies for oral health education should be developed in order to improve the oral hygiene practices, denture cleansing habits in the entire population

Denture acceptance among newly rehabilitated elderly population in old age homes in South India

Introduction: Elders in old age homes are mainly those who have been abandoned by their family and have one or more physical or mental disabilities. It is a major challenge for the dental professional to plan oral health strategy for this group of patients. Aim of the Study: Aim of the present study is to observe and determine the acceptance of new dental prosthesis among the elderly residing as inmates of 3 old age homes in Mangalore City. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a survey proforma. Information regarding their experience with the new denture, 1-month, 3 months and 6 months after denture insertion was gathered. Statistical analysis of the data was done using the Chi-square test with the P < 0.05 considered significant. Results: One hundred and eighty-three residents out of a total of 400 residents in 3 old age homes were denture wearers. Among them, 101 (55.2%) were females, and 82 (44.8%) were males. Dental prosthesis whether worn regularly, discomfort, retention, cleansing of denture during a period of 1-month, 3 months and 6 months was found to be significant satisfaction with the prosthesis, denture adhesives used, food accumulation during a period of 1-month, 3 months and 6 months was found to be nonsignificant. Conclusion: The emotional makeup of the patient must be taken into consideration during the entire procedure. We must understand that the success of the prosthesis depends mainly on the patient′s confidence in the dentist rather than the quality of the prosthesis

Assessment of the effect of honey and chlorhexidine on radiation-induced oral stomatitis with head-and-neck cancer patients

Background and Aim: Stomatitis being one of the most common oral complications of radiotherapy increases the mortality rates in patients with head and neck cancer. Providing preventive measures and cure for these side effects right after their onset is of primary importance. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of honey on radiation induced stomatitis in head and neck cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with head-and-neck cancer requiring radiation or radiation combined with chemotherapy were divided into two groups. Patients of Group 1 were advised to mix 3 mL of chlorhexidine in 100 mL of water and rinse for about 1 min. Patients of Group 2 were advised to take 20 mL of honey in a glass of water and divide it into two equal parts and then rinse each part for about 30 s. Patients were evaluated at baseline, week 1, and week 2 for the development of radiation-induced stomatitis using the WHO Mucositis Scale. Results: The grade of stomatitis in head-and-neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, treated with honey, was significantly lower than those treated with chlorhexidine (P < 0.05 for each). Conclusions: Topical application of honey is a simple and cost-effective treatment in radiation-induced stomatitis which needs further multicenter randomized trials to validate our finding. The results of the present study conducted on head-and-neck cancer patients will be useful in the administration of oral care. These findings are also important to the nurses who are assigned with the responsibility of stomatitis management