Interventions for Patients With a Shortened Dental Arch

Overview

Dental services for large sectors of the population of the Western Cape (WC) Province of South Africa (SA) has been, and continues to be, limited to low-cost treatment options and emergency services, such as extractions at public health clinics. Replacement of missing teeth for the disadvantaged majority of the population is provided almost exclusively at the dental teaching institutions. Loss of teeth in the WC Province is, as elsewhere, the result of disease and the lack of restorative care and then having these replaced by a removable partial denture, if the patient can afford it Null Hypothesis: The daily functional needs and quality of life of partially dentate adult patients with a reduced posterior dental arch and /or a Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) will not be satisfied nor improved by replacing the posterior teeth with a removable prosthesis.

The aim of this research is to determine whether the daily functional needs and the quality of life of partially dentate adult patients with a reduced posterior dental arch will be satisfied and improved without having the posterior teeth replaced with a removable prosthesis, as compared to having the use of such prosthesis. Objectives: To conduct a randomized controlled trial amongst partially dentate adult patients with a reduced posterior dental arch (3-5 pairs of posterior occluding pairs of teeth) and where these patients will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: one group would be provided with a metal- based removable partial denture (RPDP) to replace the posterior teeth, the other will receive no treatment. Daily functioning ability and patient satisfaction between the groups (with/without RPDP) would then be compared.