OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate, comparatively, the consequences of the posterior tooth loss in subjects presenting a single missing tooth, without treatment and subjects treated with fixed partial denture. METHODS: Fifty-six subjects with a mean age of 42.86 years, who had lost one posterior tooth for at least 3 years without receiving any prosthetic treatment (Group 1 / n=28), or treated with fixed partial dentures for at least 3 years (group 2 / n=28) were consecutively selected from public and private dental clinics. Subjects were assessed for objective (age, sex, educational level, DMFT index, plaque index, gingival index and occlusal relationships) and subjective variables (satisfaction with the oral state health and chewing ability). The chi-square test and Fischer exact test were applied to analyze categorical parameters, and t test was used for numerical parameters. The significance level was set at 0.05.
RESULTS: In general, there was no statistical difference between the two groups, except for the local DMFT index, which was significantly higher in Group 2. This finding will certainly find explanation on the greater number of teeth restored as abutments in Group 2.
CONCLUSION: With the parameters analyzed, the results of this study revealed that the absence of a permanent posterior tooth does not cause functional changes nor subjective impairments that demand its imperative replacement.