Total and extended edentation – therapeutic approach

Abstract

The purpose of the study: Edentation is one of the most serious diseases of the dentomaxilar apparatus, being characterised by the absence of teeth from the oral cavity, a phenomenon that occurs after their eruption.

Material and method: Clinical study of the treatment consisted in the total oral rehabilitation of three patients which presented partial and total edentation, the individual treatments consisted in adjuvant and/or conjunct prosthesis.

Results: Even in the case of resolving the extended edentation, the majority of the patients can feel a state of infirmity because of the mobilisation of their prosthesis, but proper recouperation of the morphology and the functions of the stomatognat system convinces the patient to undergo mobile therapy. Plans of treatment for improving the functions of the dentomaxilar apparatus follow: educating and informing the patient about oral hygiene, presenting and debating therapeutical solutions and insuring that the patient understands the necessity of prosthetic treatment, as well as organising it in stages. Therapeutic solutions to the presented situations are: total maxilar and mandibular prosthesis, partial mandibular prosthetis – mobilised with metal hooks, fixed metal-composite on remaining teeth.

Conclusion: Restabilising ADM function is not integral (because of the total prosthesis), the masticatory function being at 1/5 of its capacity. On tge other hand, the physionomical function is restored almost completely, and the phonation adapts rapidly after rehabilitation.