title: Effects of removable dental prostheses on masticatory performance of subjects with shortened dental arches: A systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To synthesise data on the effects of distal-extension removable dental prostheses (RDPs) on masticatory performance of subjects with (extreme) shortened dental arches ((E)SDAs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Search terms were: 'masticatory' respectively 'chewing' combined with 'performance', 'efficiency', or 'ability'.
  
  
  METHODS
  An electronic search restricted to the years 2003-2014 in PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Science Direct databases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Studies exposing data on subjects with SDA (3-5 posterior occluding pairs) or ESDA (0-2 posterior occluding pairs) and on masticatory performance with RDP were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four studies provided data on comminution, three on mixing ability, and one on both tests. Comminution or mixing ability in subjects with (E)SDA was 28-39% lower compared to that of subjects with complete dentitions. In two studies, comminution outcomes when chewing with an RDP ranged from 2% to 32% reduction, indicating better chewing function (smaller X50) compared to comminution without the RDP. One study reported 28-83% lower mixing ability when chewing at the RDP side than chewing at the dentulous side. Generally, more artificial teeth (or longer occlusal platform) in experimental RDPs resulted in better comminution and better mixing ability (significant in four out of five studies), indicating a 'dose-effect' relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) Subjects with (E)SDA had a 30-40% reduced masticatory performance; (2) distal-extension RDPs could compensate this reduction partially (some 50%); and (3) more artificial teeth in RDPs resulted in better performance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distal-extension RDPs in subjects with SDA partially compensate reduced masticatory performance.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, PR China; Department of Oral Function and Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Philips van Leydenlaan 25, 6525 EX Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: lilysnow233@163.com.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Function and Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Philips van Leydenlaan 25, 6525 EX Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: qian.zhang@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Function and Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Philips van Leydenlaan 25, 6525 EX Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: dick.witter@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Dick J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Witter
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, 237 Luoyu Road, Wuhan, PR China. Electronic address: wang.yn@whu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yining
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Function and Prosthetic Dentistry, College of Dental Science, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Philips van Leydenlaan 25, 6525 EX Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: nico.creugers@radboudumc.nl.
authors.forename: Nico H J
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Creugers
mesh_terms: D003724:Dental Arch / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003832:Denture, Partial, Removable; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology*; D013284:Stomatognathic System
keywords: Comminution; Distal-extension removable dental prosthesis; Masticatory performance; Mixing ability; Shortened dental arches; Systematic review