ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: PREMISES AND AIM: This study analyses the evolution of the populational segment represented by edentulous patients, specific to our country, regarding the number of edentulous patients, related to age, sex. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We performed two statistical studies on edentulous patients in 1994 and in 2004 and we compared their results. In order to evaluate the present clinical aspects of the edentulous patients, we performed this year a clinical study on 40 patients, which were classified according to their age and sex. We compared the data from this study to those obtained ten years ago from another study performed on 360 edentulous patients. RESULTS: Comparing those two studies we could appreciate the evolution of the edentulous related to age, number of patients on age groups, patient's age when he (she) became edentulous, the age/sex ratio. The age of edentulousness's installation increased, but there still exist numerous edentulous patients on the age groups 60-70, 70-80 years. In this year study, the number of edentulous patients over 80 years is twice the number that we found ten years ago. The ratio age/sex is maintained the same in both studies. So, there are more women than man in the age groups 50-60, and 60-70 (multiplied by 2, respectively 2,5), and an almost equal number of man and women in the age groups of 70-80 years and over 80 years. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical evaluation of the edentulous patients in this study, related to age and to the age/sex ratio revealed modifications in other populational groups, i.e., the increasing age of the installation of edentulousness and the increasing number of elderly people result in a greater number of edentulous female patients after menopause. So we can find out practical conclusions for the realization of total dentures, regarding treatment attitudes and costs.
