Clinical and Microbiological Assessment of Removable Partial Dentures Supported Teeth

Objectives: The aim of this study was assessing the microbiota of formed oral biofilm around abutment teeth of removable partial dentures.
Methods: Mandibular Removable Partial Dentures were placed in 11 clinically healthy individuals. Clinical and microbiological parameters were evaluated at baseline and after 1 week and 1, 3 and 6 months of functional loading. Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), Bleeding on probing (BP) and Microbiological aspects were assessed in abutment, non-abutment and antagonist teeth. Checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization method was used to identify and quantify microbial species colonizing proposed sites.
Results: There were no significant differences for PD and BP (p > 0.05) in all sites after prosthetic treatment. However, the results showed significant difference for CAL, with higher values for abutment teeth. Regarding microbiological outcomes there were significant difference between tested teeth before treatment and after 3 and 6 months by Kruskal-Wallis followed by Dunn’s multiple comparisons test. Higher to moderate counts of pathogenic species were observed after 6 months.
Conclusions: We can conclude that microbial colonization increased after 6 months of functional loading. No significant differences were showed in the clinical parameters.