Is this classification better to predict prosthodontic treatment?

OBJECTIVE: No present classification for partially edentulous jaws considers both number and position of remaining/missing teeth. Therefore the authors developed a classification to assess the distruction of dentition and kind of prosthodontic appliance. Aims of this study were to examine prosthetic status of a representative sample using the new classification and to compare the outcome with other common indices. METHODS: The new index contains 7 classes: I: edentulous jaws; II: 1-3 remaining teeth; III: SDA or spaces with 4+ posterior or 5+ anterior teeth missing; IV: 1-4 missing anterior teeth; V: 1-3 missing posterior teeth (at least one missing premolar); VI: one missing molar; VII: complete dentate. For comparisons the number of teeth (M/T) and Kennedy-classification were selected. According to these indices prosthodontic appliances were evaluated in 4,290 subjects aged 20-81 years of the population-based, cross-sectional “Study of Health in Pomerania” (SHIP-0). Canonical correlation coefficient (CCR) and uncertainty coefficient were used to assess relations between each index and prosthodontic appliances. RESULTS: Contrary to Kennedy-classification all combinations of remaining teeth were covered by the new index. Class I-III usually allowed treatment with RPD/complete dentures, class IV-VII could also be treated using FPDs. Spaces in the lower jaw were more likely to be untreated than in the upper jaw. There was no difference between the CCR (upper jaw: CCR = 0.81, lower jaw: CCR = 0.74) for the new classification and the M/T. Kennedy-classification was worse than the other indices. The new classification showed the highest uncertainty coefficient (Lambda = 0.487). CONCLUSION: Though CCR did not differ the new classification provides additional information about localization of missing teeth. The index may be an appropiate measure for evaluation of oral rehabilitation status and to predict prosthodontic therapy options and treatment costs. Therefore the index is also practicable to compare populations regarding prosthetic status.