Duration and length of adaptation to new complete dentures: a survey based on patients’ self-reported outcomes

Abstract

Introduction We studied the duration of adaptation to new complete dentures (CD) and changes for 5 years based on patients’ self-reported outcomes. Methodology Sixty fully edentulous patients who received new CDs and wore them for 5 years were included. A questionnaire (answers 0-10 VAS) related to self-perceived speech, chewing function, comfort of denture wearing, denture retention, and orofacial esthetics was completed on the 1st, 3rd, 8th, 15th, and 30th day after new CD delivery, and after 1, 3, and 5 years of denture wearing. Results Self-perceived speech reached the highest scores on the 30th day; females and previous removable denture (RD) wearers adapted faster during the first days. Chewing reached the highest scores on the 30th day, remained unchanged over the 1st year, and decreased significantly afterwards; females gave higher scores during the first 15 days and previous RD wearers from the 3rd till the 30th day. A comfort of denture wearing first slightly decreased, but soon increased, reaching the highest values the 30th day, remained unchanged after one year, then decreased gradually, with no significant difference between gender and previous RD experience. Retention scores decreased after 3 and 5 years, without difference between gender and previous RD experience. Orofacial esthetics scores decreased substantially after 3 years with no effect of gender and previous experience (p>0.05). Conclusion The highest scores were obtained for orofacial esthetics and speech, the lowest for chewing function. Participants needed 30 days to adapt to new CDs. The adaptation lasted one year and decreased significantly the 3rd and the 5th year