Methods: The IRS and DBT were measured twice-before and after denture relining procedure in the case of 74 patients and their removable dental prostheses by using a precise sliding gauge. The DBT measuring was performed in 6 points for maxillary and in 3 points for mandibular removable dental prosthesis. The IRS values were measured as the distance (in mm) between the incisal edges of the maxillary and mandibular central incisors with patient’s mandible in a physiological “rest position” with head and neck in the upright posture. The results obtained were statistically analyzed (descriptive statistics, paired-sample Student’s t-test, p<0.05).
Results:
In the groups of patients wearing only maxillary, only mandibular, and both maxillary and mandibular removable dental prostheses mean values of DBT after denture relining were statistically significantly higher (p<0.05) in almost all measuring points. Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) of DBT were also observed in groups of “day-night time” and “day time” denture wearers, and in a group of patients for whom a period shorter than one year had passed since the last tooth extraction. The IRS mean values after relining were statistically significantly lower (p<0.05) in all investigated groups.
Conclusions:
The DBT and IRS change after the denture relining procedure due to the alveolar bone resorption i.e. DBT values were higher, and IRS lower. Since these measures correspond to the residual ridge resorption they can be used as simple “resorption indicators” in dental practice.