Cognitive, Functional Mobility and Oral Functional Capacity Changes Following Complete Denture Rehabilitation: A Prospective Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACT Background Complete dentures positively impact the oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL) of geriatric individuals; however, longitudinal changes in broader functional and cognitive outcomes following complete denture rehabilitation remain insufficiently characterized. Objective To characterize longitudinal changes in cognitive performance, functional mobility and oral functional capacity (OFC) during the first three months following complete denture rehabilitation in edentulous older adults. Methods Seventy one completely edentulous individuals aged > 60 years were enrolled in this single‐arm prospective clinical study and rehabilitated with maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. Cognitive function, functional mobility and OFC were assessed prior to treatment and at 1 and 3 months following denture insertion. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), functional mobility using the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), and denture‐related OHRQoL using the OHIP‐EDENT questionnaire. Within‐subject changes were analysed and associations between changes in MMSE and TUGT scores and patient age and OHRQoL were examined. Results Significant within‐subject changes were observed in MMSE, TUGT and OFC across the three assessment time points. MMSE scores increased significantly from pretreatment to both 1 and 3 months, with no significant difference between the two post‐treatment assessments. TUGT performance and OFC showed significant changes across all pairwise time‐point comparisons. No significant associations were observed between age and changes in TUGT, MMSE, or OHIP‐EDENT scores. Conclusion Favourable longitudinal changes in cognitive performance and functional mobility were observed during the three months following complete denture rehabilitation, alongside favourable shifts in OFC parameters that may reflect changes in oral care‐related capacity. Trial Registration NCT06688669