The influence of age and denture wear on the size of edentulous structures.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate the influence of age and denture use on the size of arches and residual ridges in edentulous patients.


METHODS
At two nursing homes, maxillary and mandibular stone casts of 302 fully edentulous patients were utilized to measure the size of the arches and residual ridges, according to age and use of complete dentures. Age cohorts were divided into three groups; 60-69, 70-79, and 80-89 years old. Two hundred and forty-nine denture wearers used complete dentures for at least 2 years before examinations. Fifty-three non-denture users had never worn removable prostheses. Chi-square analysis (p<0.05) was used to establish the possible relations between the linear values and the size indexes of the ridges and arches and the two examined parameters: age and denture wear.


RESULTS
Young old patients possessed edentulous structures that were not significantly larger than elderly old patients in both the maxilla and the mandible. Non-denture users had significantly bigger arches and ridges in both edentulous jaws than denture users.


CONCLUSIONS
Young old, non-denture users tended to have bigger residual edentulous tissues compared to elderly old patients who used complete dentures.
Pietrokovski
J
J
Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel. pietro@netvision.net.il
Harfin
J
J
Levy
F
F
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002508:Cephalometry; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003824:Denture, Complete; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009066:Mouth, Edentulous / Q000473:pathology*; D012016:Reference Values