[Epidemiologic aspects of the edentulous mouth (II). General and local features of the totally edentulous mouth]. / Aspecte epidemiologice privind edentatia totala (II). Aspecte generale si locale asociate edentatiei totale.

UNLABELLED: PREMISES AND AIM: The study wants to reveal the general and local clinical aspects, which may accompany the completely edentulous mouth and create difficulties in treatment. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The clinical and statistical study was carried out on 40 edentulous patients; we analyzed general aspects (the present medical status, the patient's medication and its effects) and local aspects (the etiology, the type of previous denture treatment, the type and number of denture's repairs, the extent of the residual ridge resorption, the relationship between residual ridges), the total difficulty of the treatment. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: 80% of the edentulous patients suffered from general diseases, more frequent from cardiovascular, digestive, metabolic, renal, rheumatic diseases. 73% of the edentulous patients received daily medication, which generated in 30% of cases a decrease of the saliva volume. The demand for prosthetic treatment was greater for the recent edentulous patients (less then 1-2 years of edentulousness) or for those who lost their teeth more then 6 years ago. The majority of patients over 70 years are completely bimaxillary edentulous patients, 68% of them had previous bimaxillary dentures. We found the bone resorption moderate (50% of cases) and severe (33% of patients), the relationship of the residual ridges inverse in the anterior and posterior zones (60% of patients) and normal in the anterior zone and inverse in the posterior zone (28%). The difficulty of the treatment was frequently 3Pd degree for the maxilla and 4t' degree for the mandible (the maximum degree of difficulty). CONCLUSIONS: The completely edentulous patient presents a number of general and local modifications, which increase the difficulty of the treatment, demand supplementary therapeutic procedures, and increase the total cost. The modifications of the oral structures demand specific therapeutic procedures, and in some cases the frequent renewal or adaptation of dentures (every 3-5 years); all those costs must be took over by the insurance company, because of their social status (pensioners).

[Epidemiologic aspects of the totally edentulous mouth. (1) General aspects]. / Aspecte epidemiologice privind edentatia totala (1). Aspecte generale.

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.