Teaching Complete Denture Procedures to Dental Students by Conventional or Simplified Methods: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

With populations aging around the world, the need for complete dentures is likely to increase in Brazil and other developing countries, as well among low-income populations globally, making the teaching of cost-efficient techniques to dental students essential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of complete dentures fabricated by the simplified method in comparison to the conventional method regarding patients' oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and satisfaction, dentures' functional quality, and masticatory performance of patients who were rehabilitated by dental students. From February 2016 to April 2017, final-year dental students at the Federal University of Alfenas, Brazil, were instructed to fabricate new complete dentures for 36 edentulous patients, who were randomly divided into two groups according to denture manufacturing method: simplified method or conventional method. Patients' OHRQoL and satisfaction and the prostheses quality were evaluated at one, three, and six months. Masticatory performance was evaluated at three months. The results showed there was no significant difference between the two methods regarding OHRQoL, patient satisfaction, prostheses quality, or masticatory performance (p>0.05). All aspects evaluated also remained constant for the same group (simplified method or conventional method) in all periods of evaluation (p>0.05). The study concluded that the simplified method for complete denture fabrication was able to produce protheses with functional quality and patient satisfaction comparable to those produced with the conventional method, even when made by dental students.

Technical Quality of Complete Dentures: Influence on Masticatory Efficiency and Quality of Life.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of the technical quality of conventional complete dentures (CD) on masticatory efficiency and quality of life (QoL) of denture wearers during a 1-year follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective clinical trial with 32 edentulous patients (mean age of 60.2 years) wearing mandibular and maxillary dentures was conducted. All patients were evaluated wearing their preexisting dentures and after 3, 6, and 12 months postinsertion of new dentures. A reproducible method for objective evaluation of the technical quality of CDs was employed. Masticatory efficiency was evaluated by the colorimetric method using beads as artificial testing food. The oral health impact on patient QoL was measured using the OHIP-EDENT (Oral Health Impact Profile in Edentulous Adults) questionnaire. The nonparametric Wilcoxon test was applied to reveal any differences in technical quality between the preexisting and new dentures. The Friedman test was used to detect differences in masticatory efficiency and oral health impact on QoL. Spearman's correlation was applied to reveal correlation between the variables. RESULTS: Comparing preexisting and new dentures, significant improvement was found in technical quality between the dentures (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in masticatory efficiency. A significant decrease was found in the total OHIP-EDENT scores after denture replacement. A positive correlation was found between technical quality and OHIP in the new denture wearers (p = 0.011). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this study, denture quality significantly improved patients' oral health-related QoL; however, insertion of new dentures did not influence masticatory efficiency.

Biomechanical aspects: Summary and consensus statements of group 4. The 5th EAO Consensus Conference 2018.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present publication was to report on the EAO Workshop group-4 discussions and consensus statements on the five reviews previously prepared. These reviews provided the scientific evidence on the effect of crown-to-implant ratio, on reconstructions with cantilevers in fully and partially edentulous patients, on biological and technical complications of tilted in comparison with straight implants, and on the effects of osseointegrated implants functioning in a residual dentition. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The group discussed, evaluated, corrected where deemed appropriate, and made recommendations to the authors regarding the following five reviews submitted: (a) Is there an effect of crown-to-implant ratio on implant treatment outcomes?; (b) Implant-supported cantilevered fixed dental rehabilitations in fully edentulous patients; (c) and in partially edentulous patients; (d) Biological and technical complications of tilted implants in comparison with straight implants supporting fixed dental prostheses; (e) What are the adverse effects of osseointegrated implants functioning among natural teeth of a residual dentition? Based on the five manuscripts and the discussion among the group as well as the plenum members, the major findings were summarized, consensus statements were formulated, clinical recommendations were proposed, and areas of future research were identified. RESULTS: Crown-to-implant ratios ranging from 0.9 to 2.2 did not influence the occurrence of biological or technical complications also in single-tooth restorations. Reconstructions with cantilevers for the rehabilitation of fully and partially edentulous jaws showed high implant and reconstruction survival rates. In contrast, the rate of complications-in particular associated with veneering material-was high during the observation period of 5-10 years. The data reported were primarily derived from studies with high risk of bias. The data for single-implant reconstructions were small. There was no evidence that distally tilted implants were associated with higher failure rates and increased amounts of marginal bone loss. The data supporting these findings, however, were at high risk of bias and frequently incompletely reported. Frequent positional changes occurred between the natural teeth and the implant-supported restorations. These changes were more pronounced in younger individuals, and even though they were reduced with age, they still occurred in adult patients. Even though these changes were frequent, potential implications for the patient are unclear. CONCLUSIONS: The use of single-tooth restorations with crown-to-implant ratio in between 0.9 and 2.2 may be considered a viable treatment option. Multiunit reconstructions with cantilevers are a viable treatment option in fully and partially edentulous patients. Clinicians and patients should be aware, however, that complications are frequent and primarily related to resin material used for veneering. There is some evidence that tilting an implant does affect stability of the implant and the surrounding bone. Treatment options to tilted implants should carefully be considered, as the effect on soft tissues and on prosthesis behavior is poorly reported for tilted implants. Positional changes in the dentition in relation to implant-supported restorations occur frequently. The patient should be informed about the possible need for a treatment related to these changes in the long term.

Group 2 ITI Consensus Report: Prosthodontics and implant dentistry.

OBJECTIVES: Working Group 2 was convened to address topics relevant to prosthodontics and dental implants. Systematic reviews were developed according to focused questions addressing (a) the number of implants required to support fixed full-arch restorations, (b) the influence of intentionally tilted implants compared to axial positioned implants when supporting fixed dental prostheses (FDPs), (c) implant placement and loading protocols, (d) zirconia dental implants, (e) zirconia and metal ceramic implant supported single crowns and (f) zirconia and metal ceramic implant supported FDPs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Group 2 considered and discussed information gathered in six systematic reviews. Group participants discussed statements developed by the authors and developed consensus. The group developed and found consensus for clinical recommendations based on both the statements and the experience of the group. The consensus statements and clinical recommendations were presented to the plenary (gathering of all conference attendees) and discussed. Final versions were developed after consensus was reached. RESULTS: A total of 27 consensus statements were developed from the systematic reviews. Additionally, the group developed 24 clinical recommendations based on the combined expertise of the participants and the developed consensus statements. CONCLUSIONS: The literature supports the use of various implant numbers to support full-arch fixed prostheses. The use of intentionally tilted dental implants is indicated when appropriate conditions exist. Implant placement and loading protocols should be considered together when planning and treating patients. One-piece zirconia dental implants can be recommended when appropriate clinical conditions exist although two-piece zirconia implants should be used with caution as a result of insufficient data. Clinical performance of zirconia and metal ceramic single implant supported crowns is similar and each demonstrates significant, though different, complications. Zirconia ceramic FDPs are less reliable than metal ceramic. Implant supported monolithic zirconia prostheses may be a future option with more supporting evidence.

Accuracy and reproducibility of virtual edentulous casts created by laboratory impression scan protocols.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Although computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) complete removable dental prostheses (CRDPs) have gained popularity, conventional impressions are still common for CAD-CAM CRDP treatment. These need to be digitized and converted into virtual edentulous casts with a laboratory impression scan protocol during prosthesis fabrication. How this can best be accomplished is unclear. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to compare the accuracy and reproducibility of virtual edentulous casts created by a dental laboratory laser scanner and a cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scanner with a digitized master cast. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A master cast was digitized as the virtual reference cast. Ten polyvinyl siloxane impressions were made on the master cast and scanned with the dental laboratory laser scanner and CBCT scanner. The impressions were sprayed with antiglare spray and rescanned. Four groups of virtual study casts (N=40) were created from the impression scans. All virtual study casts and the reference cast were registered with surface-matching software, and the root mean square (RMS) values (representation of overall accuracy) and percentage of measurement data points within 1 standard deviation (SD) of mean RMS values (%, representation of overall reproducibility) among the 4 study groups were measured. Additionally, 95 numeric distance differences (representation of accuracy at each region) were measured in 5 distinct regions: the apex of the denture border, 6 mm from denture border, crest of the ridge, palate, and posterior palatal seal. The repeated-measures ANOVA and post hoc test (t grouping) were used to determine statistical differences (α=.05). RESULTS: The laboratory scanner group had a significantly larger RMS value (4.0 ±0.3 µm, P<.001) and smaller percentage of measurement data points within 1 SD of mean RMS value (77.5 ±1.0%, P<.001). The RMS values between the CBCT scanner (1.2 ±0.3 µm) and CBCT scanner-spray (1.1 ±0.2 µm) groups were not significantly different (P=.968), and the percentage of measurement data points within 1 SD of mean RMS values (90.1 ±1.1% versus 89.5 ±0.8%) were also not significantly different (P=.662). The numeric distance differences across 5 regions were affected by the scanning protocols (P<.001). The laboratory scanner and laboratory scanner-spray groups had significantly higher numeric distance differences at the apex of the denture border and crest of the ridge regions (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: The CBCT scanner created more accurate and reproducible virtual edentulous casts, and the antiglare spray only significantly improved the accuracy and reproducibility of virtual edentulous casts created by the dental laboratory laser scanner. The accuracy of the virtual edentulous casts was different across 5 regions and was affected by the scanning protocols.

Accuracy of digitally fabricated trial dentures.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Information about the accuracy of digital computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) complete dentures is scarce. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to assess the reproducibility of the occlusion of wax dentures fabricated with digital steps and the contraction behavior of wax trial dentures processed with combined conventional-digital steps. These were compared with those fabricated completely conventionally in terms of storage duration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five sets of maxillary and mandibular wax trial dentures were milled from a gingiva-colored wax blank (Ceramill D-Wax, Amann Girrbach AG) using the Ceramill Motion 2 System (Amann Girrbach), scanned, and matched by best-fit triangulation for each of the 5 denture pairs. Processing deformation was measured and the maximum deviations calculated. A 3-dimensional color-coded mapping of the differences between each pair of dentures was generated. Five sets of maxillary and mandibular wax trial dentures were processed with digital steps, and 5 sets of maxillary and mandibular wax trial dentures were fabricated in the conventional way with the help of a silicone index from a CAM-fabricated wax trial denture to standardize the wax amount. All dentures were scanned immediately after waxing and after 1 week of storage. After surface matching, the deformation was measured, and the milled wax bases were compared with those conventionally fabricated. Data were interpreted using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The occlusion of wax trial dentures fabricated with digital steps was not reproducible. The deviations in the maxillary dentures were mostly marginal, with exceptions for single teeth/tooth groups in denture No. 2 (occlusal areas of teeth in second quadrant, second molars) and No. 4 (central incisor and canine in second quadrant inclined to palatal side, and first premolar in first quadrant and first molar in second quadrant displayed greater deviations). Among the mandibular dentures, denture Nos. 4 and 5 the central incisor (fourth quadrant) inclined to the labial side. Additionally, in denture No. 5 the lateral incisor (fourth quadrant) inclined to the lingual side. CONCLUSIONS: In digitally fabricated dentures, the manual placing of the teeth into the denture base sockets can lead to deviations from the planned arrangement. The deviations were greater in the area of the denture bases in the conventionally fabricated dentures compared with those processed with combined conventional-digital steps. The milled wax bases showed better contraction behavior than the conventionally fabricated wax bases.

Clinical complications and quality assessments with computer-engineered complete dentures: A systematic review.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Computer-engineered complete dentures (CECDs) have significant potential as shown by recent reports of outcomes and specific applications. An understanding of complications and quality assessment factors associated with CECDs from compiled data is lacking in published reports. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the clinical complications and quality assessments related to CECDs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Electronic searches of publications in English from January 1984 to September 2016 were performed in MEDLINE and Cochrane databases, with the results enriched by manual searches and citation mining to address 2 population intervention comparison outcome (PICO) questions: what are the clinical complications associated with CECDs, and what are the quality assessments with CECDs? RESULTS: A review of 5 selected articles (limited data) on CECDs revealed patient dissatisfaction related to overall outcome (25.49%), inadequate retention (20.73%), and esthetic concerns (15.09%) as common complications. Quality assessment factors that were used to report complications were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Patient dissatisfaction, inadequate retention, and inadequate esthetics were the most common complications with CECDs. The addition of a trial placement option for CECDs could result in a better clinical outcome, reducing the incidence of other complications related to occlusal vertical dimension, centric relationship, tooth arrangement, and esthetics, improving patient satisfaction, and reducing remakes. The difficulty in reading the digital preview for an objective assessment before fabrication is a unique but not a common, complication for CECDs.

Stress Distribution in an Implant-Supported Mandibular Complete Denture Using Different Cantilever Lengths and Occlusal Coating Materials.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess stress distribution in the bone-implant interface of a mandibular implant-supported prosthesis with different cantilever lengths, aesthetic coating materials, and implant abutments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A photoelastic model of an edentulous mandible, containing 5 external hexagon implants, was constructed. Experimental models were divided into 6 groups: group 1-UCLA component and metal bar; group 2-UCLA component and acrylic resin coating; group 3-UCLA component and porcelain coating; group 4-abutment and metal bar; group 5-abutment and acrylic resin coating; and group 6-abutment and porcelain coating. Forces were applied to the most anterior implant, the most posterior implant, and different cantilever lengths. RESULTS: The results showed a higher number of high-stress fringes as the cantilever length increased. Fringes were better distributed in groups with prostheses composed of acrylic resin and in groups that contained an abutment. CONCLUSION: The stress distribution in the bone-implant interface is improved when the cantilever is eliminated and when abutments in an acrylic resin prosthesis are used.

Virtual evaluation for CAD-CAM-fabricated complete dentures.

New treatment concepts for complete denture fabrication, including digital components, may increase the predictability of the treatment outcome. The reduced number of appointments, improved biocompatibility of the materials, opportunity to copy the outline of existing dentures, possibility of a virtual evaluation, and reduction of costs have changed the treatment workflow considerably. This becomes even more important against the background of an aging population. The innovative approach presented describes the combination of an impression-occlusal rim with a 3-dimesional face scan that allows a virtual evaluation, which might complement or even replace the traditional evaluation of a conventional tooth arrangement.

The importance of a two-step impression procedure for complete denture fabrication: a systematic review of the literature.

The literature has questioned the real need for some clinical and laboratory procedures considered essential for achieving better results for complete denture fabrication. The aim of this study was to review the current literature concerning the relevance of a two-step impression procedure to achieve better clinical results in fabricating conventional complete dentures. Through an electronic search strategy of the PubMed/MEDLINE database, randomised controlled clinical trials which compared complete denture fabrication in adults in which one or two steps of impressions occurred were identified. The selections were made by three independent reviewers. Among the 540 titles initially identified, four studies (seven published papers) reporting on 257 patients evaluating aspects such as oral health-related quality of life, patient satisfaction with dentures in use, masticatory performance and chewing ability, denture quality, direct and indirect costs were considered eligible. The quality of included studies was assessed according to the Cochrane guidelines. The clinical studies considered for this review suggest that a two-step impression procedure may not be mandatory for the success of conventional complete denture fabrication regarding a variety of clinical aspects of denture quality and patients' perceptions of the treatment.

Maxillary Complete Denture Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Patient-Based Outcomes.

PURPOSE: The aim of this systematic review is to report on the current knowledge regarding patient satisfaction as a primary outcome for maxillary complete denture therapy. We asked, "For the maxillary edentulous patient treated using maxillary dentures, what are the patient-based outcomes regarding quality of life and treatment satisfaction." MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electronic search of publications up to March 2014 was established using four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase. To meet the ultimate goal of establishing clinical guidelines based on available information, prospective comparative studies, cohort prospective studies, and retrospective studies on more than 10 subjects were included. The electronic search identified 4,530 articles that were evaluated at the title, abstract, and article level to include 31 articles of interest. The patient-based outcomes and satisfaction data included were examined and reported. RESULTS: The studies included 5,485 participants. Of these, 2,685 were identified as wearing maxillary complete dentures. Reported mean ages ranged from 59.7 to 73.6 years. A systematic review indicated that the provision of new maxillary complete dentures for edentulous patients results in improved self-reported satisfaction and oral health-related quality of life. The included reports, while providing evidence that complete denture satisfaction of participants and new dentures improve self-reported outcomes, did not include variables that influence these positive outcomes. CONCLUSION: A broad range of evidence supports the use of complete dentures for rehabilitation of the edentulous maxilla. When considering treatment of the edentulous maxilla, the expectations of patients for esthetic and phonetic (social) rehabilitation are high and can be met using maxillary complete dentures as the mode of prosthetic rehabilitation. Patients dissatisfied with new complete dentures may be referred for dental implant therapies involving fixed or removable prostheses.

Clinical performance of CAD-CAM-fabricated complete dentures: A cross-sectional study.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacture (CAD-CAM)-fabricated complete dentures (CD) seek to address the disadvantages associated with conventional CD fabrication. However, few if any randomized clinical trials, cross-sectional, and/or retrospective analyses are available for the clinical performance of CAD-CAM-fabricated CDs. PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate clinician experience with digital CD fabrication attempted in a 2-visit protocol. The actual number of appointments required for insertion and the number of postinsertion adjustment visits, and whether the incidence of treatment complications was related to operator experience were recorded and evaluated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients who had received CAD-CAM-fabricated CDs were identified from a retrospective chart review. The number of appointments needed to insert digital CDs in attempting the 2-visit fabrication protocol marketed by the company, the number of postinsertion adjustments, and the reported complications were counted. There was no control group for comparative purposes used in this study. Whether the experience level of the operator influenced the frequency of a complication, the number of appointments needed to insert the definitive prostheses, and the number of postinsertion visits was determined by using an analysis of variance assessed at the 95% confidence level (α=.05). The frequency of a complication at each of the levels of operator experience was analyzed using the Exact Mantel-Haenszel chi-square test. RESULTS: Of the 48 rehabilitated participants, 24 participants were treated at the predoctoral level and 24 were treated at the graduate prosthodontics resident level. A total of 31 participants satisfied the true 2-visit fabrication protocol, and the remaining 17 participants required additional clinical visits because of complications on the day of insertion. The CD prostheses of 5 participants from the sample population required remaking using the conventional method. The mean number of postinsertion adjustment visits was 2.08. Of the 90 arches completed, 22 prostheses could not be inserted at the second appointment. CONCLUSIONS: The mean number of appointments needed to insert the prostheses in both groups was 2.39 visits--not 2 as claimed by the company. The most common types of complications observed were lack of denture retention, inaccurate occlusal vertical dimension, and incorrect centric relation.

Wearing complete dentures is associated with changes in the three-dimensional shape of the oropharynx in edentulous older people that affect swallowing.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of wearing complete dentures on pharyngeal shape for swallowing in edentulous older people. BACKGROUND: In the absence of complete dentures, edentulous older people often lose the occlusal support necessary to position the mandible, which leads to an anterosuperior shift of the mandible during swallowing. This may result in pharyngeal shape changes effecting swallowing function in older people. However, the details of this phenomenon are currently unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants were 17 older edentulous volunteers. Cone-beam computed tomography imaging was performed with the participant in the seated position and wearing (i) both maxillary and mandibular dentures, (ii) maxillary dentures only and (iii) no dentures. During imaging, participants were instructed to keep their mouth closed to the mandibular position determined in advance during swallowing for each denture-wearing condition. The volume, height and average cross-sectional area of the velopharynx and oropharynx were measured, and the positions of the epiglottis and mandible were recorded. RESULTS: While the vertical height of the oral cavity and pharynx significantly decreased, the volume and average cross-sectional area of the oropharynx significantly increased when dentures were not worn (p < 0.01). The absence of dentures caused an anterosuperior shift of the mandible when swallowing and drew the epiglottis forward, resulting in expansion of the oropharynx where the tongue base forms the anterior wall. CONCLUSION: The absence of dentures results in anatomical changes in oropharyngeal shape that may exacerbate the pharyngeal expansion caused by ageing and reduce the swallowing reserve.

Credibility and Confidence in Your Dental Laboratory Work-How Quality Assurance Systems Can Be Used in the Manufacturing of Individual Custom-Made Dental Devices.

Manufacturing of custom-made dental devices such as removable dentures, fixed prosthodontics and orthodontics are subject to the requirements of the Medical Devices Directive (MDD). Many dental laboratories often enhance these requirements by implementing quality assurance procedures that then provide enhanced consistency. This paper provided a personal view of some of the systems currently being used in dental laboratories to provide a quality assured product and associated issues.

Dentist-Patient Communication and Denture Quality Associated with Complete Denture Satisfaction Among Taiwanese Elderly Wearers.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore individual (ie, sociodemographic characteristics, patient personality) and clinical factors (ie, dentist-patient communication, denture quality) associated with complete denture satisfaction among the Taiwanese elderly population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multistage sampling and cross-sectional design was used to collect data. A total of 387 fully edentulous citizens, aged 65 years and older and who had received new sets of complete dentures, were selected. The participants completed clinical dental examinations and questionnaires by personal interview to collect information on denture satisfaction and associated variables. The relationship among three groups of these participants (satisfied, neutral, and dissatisfied) and potential factors were simultaneously examined using polytomous logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Overall, 36.7% of the participants were dissatisfied with their dentures. Living status (crude odds ratio [COR] = 2.04), personality (COR = 4.86), dentist-patient communication (COR = 7.46), and denture quality (COR = 5.02) were associated with complete denture satisfaction. The multivariate regression model showed that dentist-patient communication (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.41) and denture quality (AOR = 4.40) were significant complete denture satisfaction factors that diluted the effect of living status and personality. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate dentistpatient communication and low denture quality were associated with the dissatisfaction of patients with dentures. To increase complete denture satisfaction, the importance of training programs aimed at enhancing dentist-patient communication and denture quality cannot be overemphasized.

Complete Dentures: Designing Occlusal Registration Blocks to Save Clinical Time and Improve Accuracy.

The techniques described in this article are based on facial measurements and an analysis of the patient's existing dentures to provide measurements that will enable registration blocks to be constructed for individual patients rather than the arbitrarily produced block more commonly seen. Employing the methods shown will lead to a saving in clinical time and contribute to a more accurate registration. It is important to remember that the technician can only provide occlusal registration blocks of the appropriate dimensions if the clinician has assessed the patient and existing dentures and then passed this information to the laboratory. Clinical Relevances: Being able to assess the clinical suitability of a patient's existing dentures and then take measurements from those dentures will allow occlusal registration blocks to be constructed that have the correct dimensions and anatomical features for a particular patient. This will save time during the registration stage and help to improve accuracy.

Electronic laboratory quality assurance program: A method of enhancing the prosthodontic curriculum and addressing accreditation standards.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: An electronic quality assurance (eQA) program was developed to replace a paper-based system and to address standards introduced by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and to improve educational outcomes. This eQA program provides feedback to predoctoral dental students on prosthodontic laboratory steps at New York University College of Dentistry. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the eQA program of performing laboratory quality assurance with the former paper-based format. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourth-year predoctoral dental students (n=334) who experienced both the paper-based and the electronic version of the quality assurance program were surveyed about their experiences. Additionally, data extracted from the eQA program were analyzed to identify areas of weakness in the curriculum. RESULTS: The study findings revealed that 73.8% of the students preferred the eQA program to the paper-based version. The average number of treatments that did not pass quality assurance standards was 119.5 per month. This indicated a 6.34% laboratory failure rate. Further analysis of these data revealed that 62.1% of the errors were related to fixed prosthodontic treatment, 27.9% to partial removable dental prostheses, and 10% to complete removable dental prostheses in the first 18 months of program implementation. CONCLUSIONS: The eQA program was favored by dental students who have experienced both electronic and paper-based versions of the system. Error type analysis can yield the ability to create customized faculty standardization sessions and refine the didactic and clinical teaching of the predoctoral students. This program was also able to link patient care activity with the student's laboratory activities, thus addressing the latest requirements of the CODA regarding the competence of graduates in evaluating laboratory work related to their patient care.

Simplified versus traditional techniques for complete denture fabrication: a systematic review.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: A number of methods have been described for the fabrication of complete dentures. There are 2 common ways to make conventional complete dentures: a traditional method and a simplified method. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review to compare the efficiency of simplified and traditional methods for the fabrication of complete dentures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The review was conducted by 3 independent reviewers and included articles published up to December 2013. Three electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE-PubMed, The Cochrane Library, and ISI Web of Science. A manual search also was performed to identify clinical trials of simplified versus traditional fabrication of complete dentures. RESULTS: Six articles were classified as randomized controlled clinical trials and were included in this review. The majority of the selected articles analyzed general satisfaction, denture stability, chewing ability and function, comfort, hygiene, esthetics, speech function, quality of life, cost, and fabrication time. CONCLUSIONS: Although the studies reviewed demonstrate some advantages of simplified over traditional prostheses, such as lower cost and clinical time, good chewing efficiency, and a positive effect on the quality of life, the reports related the use of different simplified methods for the fabrication of complete dentures. Additional randomized controlled trials that used similar simplified techniques for the fabrication of complete dentures should be performed with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods.

[Removable prosthesis insertion steps: controls-qualifications]. / Les étapes de i'insertion d'une prothèse amovible: contrôles-qualités.

Support a prosthetic edentulous patient aims to optimize the rudimentary functions of mastication and phonation. Knowing the routine procedures in dentistry is needed. These prostheses can be a source of criticism in terms of the quality of life they provide. Chronologically, several steps must be followed when delivered: Reception at the dental office of the prosthesis, with its technical specifications, Meticulous checks prosthetic surfaces, Introduction in the oral cavity of dentures smoothly, The stability of the prosthesis is tested initially, Second occlusion is checked, The esthetic of the prosthesis previously endorsed in the fittings, is popular again, Phonetic tests are performed to help verify the positioning of the teeth in relation to the lips, Tests for judging the ability to swallow, to incise and biting at the posterior teeth are made by the patient, Check alignment of mounting the entire face, Follow the recommendations for proper use of the prosthesis. The complementarily of these steps determines the integration of the prosthesis, but the patient must be informed early in the treatment of functional and aesthetic limits of its future prosthesis.

Alternatives to traditional complete dentures.

Specific alternatives to traditional complete denture therapy have been controversial because of the uncertainties surrounding effectiveness of retention. This article addresses the importance of retention, border molding, diagnosis, and treatment planning, and the meticulous attention to detail required throughout the treatment course of these alternative modalities. Indications, advantages, and limitations are also presented. Although these alternatives are not routinely used in making complete dentures, they have been successfully used for the treatment of the edentulous patient. Alternatives serve as valuable prosthodontic treatment options that greatly enhance denture aesthetics, and should be considered for edentulous patients.