title: Mechanosensation and maximum bite force in edentulous patients rehabilitated with bimaxillary implant-supported fixed dental prostheses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to compare tactile sensitivity and maximum voluntary bite force (MBF) of edentulous patients with implant-supported fixed dental prostheses (IFDP/IFDPs) to those wearing complete dentures (CG-CC) and fully dentate subjects (CG-DD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven edentulous subjects with IFDP/IFDPs, seven with CG-CC and seven CG-DD, matched for age and gender, participated in the pilot experiments. Three active tactile thresholds (absolute, 50% and 100%) were evaluated by means of copper foils of decreasing thickness (12 foils: 700-5 μm). The passive thresholds were measured in six different sites per quadrant using a custom-made computer-supported strain gauge. MBF was evaluated electronically using the central-bearing point method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Active tactile thresholds were different between all three groups of dental state (Kruskal-Wallis: absolute P = 0.0156; 50% P = 0.0019; 100% P = 0.0059). The active tactile sensitivity with IFDP/IFDPs was between those of the two other groups, except for the 100% threshold. The median passive tactile threshold was higher in patients with IFDP/IFDPs (5.7 N) than in CG-CC (1.7 N) and CG-DD (0.5 N) (Kruskal-Wallis P < 0.0005). MBF did not differ significantly between the dental states (ns).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IFDP/IFDPs are a valuable treatment option for restoring edentulous patients. Limitations concerning their physiological integration into the orofacial system are mainly related to a poor passive rather than active tactile sensitivity or maximum bite force.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gerodontology and Removable Prosthodontics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luraschi
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schimmel
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: German O
authors.initials: GO
authors.lastname: Gallucci
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Belser
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Müller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001732:Bite Force; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis; D003824:Denture, Complete; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D008465:Mechanoreceptors; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology*; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*