Evaluation of the Treatment Complexity with Single Complete Removable Denture: A Cross-sectional Study in Tunisia

Abstract

Aim:The aim of this study is to determine the complaints of patients wearing single complete removable dentures (SCRDs), to evaluate their satisfaction degree, and to identify the main construction faults committed. Materials and methods: One hundred patients with SCRDs were included. A questionnaire was prepared to investigate the patients' complaints and satisfaction. This questionnaire was supplemented by a professional examination of dentures. Results: Loss of retention and chewing difficulties were the most common complaints of the patients. Examination of the complete dentures by a professional in removable prosthodontics has shown prosthetic instability, lack of retention, and poor adaptation of the prosthetic bases in 49%, 42%, and 38% of the cases, respectively. Occlusal errors related to balanced occlusion, occlusal plane orientation, and occlusal vertical dimension were found successively in 41%, 37%, and 27% of the examined dentures, respectively. Sixty-three percent of the patients were overall dissatisfied with their dentures. This dissatisfaction was correlated to the quality of the denture (p < 10 −3 ). Conclusion:The complaints expressed by the patients with their dentures are mostly justified. The design of a single removable denture does not seem to be mastered by many practitioners.