Diagnosis of auditory disorders in dental patients with altered occlusal relationships (Part 1)

Relevance . Recently, dental patients have been increasingly presenting with not only aesthetic, functional, and painrelated concerns, but also various otological symptoms, such as ear congestion, discomfort, and perceived hearing loss. These symptoms may be linked to underlying dental conditions, especially those involving a reduction in interalveolar distance (IAD), and must be carefully differentiated from ENT disorders and true hearing impairment. Objective: To evaluate the auditory function in dental patients with partial tooth loss and complaints of pathological otological symptoms. Materials and methods . The study included 357 dental patients aged 43 to 72 years, comprising 287 women (80.4%) and 70 men (19.6%) with partial tooth loss. The examination involved a functional-physiological method for determining the central relationship of the jaws using the Apparatus for Determining Central Occlusion (AOTSO) and tonal threshold audiometry. Results . A reduction in interalveolar height of varying degrees was confirmed in 325 (91%) patients with dental arch defects, while no decrease was observed in 23 (9%) patients. All patients with otological complaints exhibited a reduction in lower facial height. Of the 87 patients with otological complaints, 37 (42.5%) were diagnosed with significant hearing loss based on tonal threshold audiometry. Conclusion . The examination of this group of dental patients with dental arch defects, utilizing modern diagnostic methods, confirmed a reduction in interalveolar distance. Additionally, otological complaints were identified, and pathological auditory conditions, such as various forms of hearing loss, were verified through tonal threshold audiometry.