A Survey of Edentulous Patient Preference among Different Denture Esthetic Concepts

Abstract

Despite the fact that solutions to functional problems are available, successfully restoring the appearance of an edentulous patient remains a challenge. The aim of this survey was to determine if edentulous respondents could differentiate among three denture esthetic concepts and if there was an overall preference among the three. Six edentulous test subjects were selected based on age and smile criteria. One wax tooth arrangement was completed according to each of the three esthetic concepts for a total of three wax tooth arrangements per test subject. The three esthetic concepts followed were natural, supernormal, and denture look. Standardized full-face digital photographs were made of each arrangement (three) during maximum smile for each subject (six). These 18 photographs were included in a questionnaire. Respondents were asked questions about their preference among the three randomly ordered concept photographs for each of the six subjects. A total of 147 completed questionnaires were analyzed. Ninety-six percent of respondents were able to differentiate among the three esthetic denture concepts. Natural tooth arrangements were preferred by 55% of the respondents, supernormal tooth arrangements were preferred by 19%, and the denture look arrangements were preferred by 26%. Within the limitations of this survey, the questionnaire respondents differentiated between the three esthetic denture concepts. The tooth arrangement most closely resembling the anatomical average was selected by 55% of the respondents. Preference for a particular concept changed when responses to each test subject set were considered individually. Demographic factors do not significantly affect patient preference. Three esthetic concepts for complete denture construction have been differentiated. Questionnaire respondents preferred appearances that are far from the anatomical average 45% of the time.