Rate of Alveolar Ridge Resorption in Complete Denture Wearers

Objectives: Alveolar bone loss (RRR) is a continous process following tooth extraction. The RRR results in reduction of face height and counterclockwise rotation of the mandible. So far, the etiology of RRR has not been not elucidated. It has been speculated that both, systemic and local factors contribute. The aim of this study was to analyse RRR in different regions of both jaws on lateral cephalograms of 50 complete denture wearers and to correlate such changes with factors such as number of years of edentulousness, age of present denture, nighttime wear of dentures, body mass index, gender, number of previous denture worn,surface of denture bearing area, etc. Methods: The height of residual ridges was measured on telerontgenograms on 5 different sites at the delivery of the dentures and a year later using a calibrated grid. Results: The results revealed significant RRR in one year period (p<0.01), which was 2.5x bigger in the mandible than in maxilla and was bigger in frontal sites of the both jaws in comparison to lateral regions. RRR was higher in patients who had their last extraction within a period of one year than in patients who had extracted their teeth earlier (p<0.01). Nighttime denture wearing and body mass index made no significant influence on the rate of RRR (p>0.05). Conclusion: Hyerarhic regression analysis revealed that the most important factors for RRR were the period of edentulousnes and number of years of denture wearing.