COMPLETE PROSTHESES TREATMENT – PRESENT AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

What is it about?

Background: Tooth loss is a public health problem across the globe, especially in low-income populations. Traditional complete denture treatment is time consuming, and less embraced by general practitioners. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to review data on prevalence, future projections, and treatment modalities for edentulism. Most edentulous patients receiving care are treated with conventional, tissue-supported prostheses. Possible ways to improve efficiency in complete denture treatment, and ameliorate access to care are investigated. Data Sources: Information was obtained mainly from PubMed, American College of Proshodontists databases, and non-indexed sources. Study selection: Considering the scarcity of information on some topics (simplified complete denture fabrication methods, digital techniques), a wide range of papers were selected for analysis, from systematic reviews, randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional studies to case presentations, expert opinions, surveys, and dental organizations’ reports. Data extraction: The web search included the following key words: edentulism, demographic, implant, removable, denture, simplified, digital, denturist. Data synthesis: The future of traditional complete denture treatment remains questionable, considering the reduced appetite of general practitioners and patients for time consuming treatments. Simplified techniques deserve an increasing attention from practitioners and dental educators, as available data suggest that they produce similar outcomes, when compared to traditional methods. Digital technologies are expected to further improve treatment outcomes, within simplified protocols. As mid-level dental providers became a reality in some jurisdictions, denturism could be considered part of the solution, especially in underserved areas. Keywords: edentulism, prosthesis, simplified, digital, curriculum.

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