EVALUATION OF POST INSERTION COMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH COMPLETE DENTURE AT VARIOUS TIME INTERVALS – A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY

Objective: The objective of this study was to find out the common problems experienced by the complete denture wearer patients at different time intervals (within 24hrs, 48hrs, 72hrs, after 1 week) after placement of complete dentures. Materials and methods: A total of 80 patients participated in this questionnaire based study which was carried out over a period of three months at the department of prosthodontics. The inclusion criteria for the patient was he/she were a new denture wearer, patients with an age group of 45-60 and those who were able to read and write. Taking into consideration of inclusion criteria and some of the patients who did not turn for follow up only a sample of 51 patients who were completely edentulous and in which complete denture prosthesis were given participated in this study . A self-administered structured questionnaire format in which three main factors ie mastication, speech, esthetics were included through a pilot survey in this study. The data analysis was analyzed by the intragroup comparison using Mcnemer test(p<0.05* ) and the mean values were calculated using Friedman test (p<0.05). Results: During first 24hrs difficulty in mastication(100%), restricted diet(100%), discomfort with dentures(100%), altered taste sensation (100%) were the common complaints .After 48hrs discomfort with dentures(80.4%) and discomfort while speaking (82.4%)was observed. After 72 hours presence of restricted diet(33.3%), presence of discomfort while mastication (49%)were present .After 1 week presence of ulcers(25.5%) and discomfort while mastication(23.5%) were the common complaints. There was no statistical significance for presence of uncommon complaints (xerostomia, nausea), psychological evaluation of patients and presence of debonding of teeth. Clinical significance: Treatment of edentulism with complete dentures is still employed widely because of its relative inexpensiveness and simplicity. However, complete dentures may be associated with various complications. This questionnaire survey states that most of the complaints were experienced by the patients after placement of complete dentures at various time intervals. Success of the complete denture not only relies on fabricating the prosthesis but also in the understanding and management of the problems associated with them. This implies the dentist or prosthodontist who are fabricating dentures should address these problems priorly and to reduce the severity of complications which will enhance the treatment outcome and satisfaction of the patients.