Pathological conditions including caries, periodontitis, somatic diseases, inadequate oral hygiene, and injuries to the maxillofacial region contribute to this.
Over time, permanent teeth wear down and are subsequently removed. Age-related involutive processes occur and progress quickly with complete tooth loss. As a result, the pressure of chewing, which stimulates elastic deformations and microcirculation, no longer maintains the contour of the face. The absence of antagonist teeth leads to a loss of the occlusal vertical dimension, resulting in the reprogramming of the masticatory muscles and significant changes in the temporomandibular joints.
Partial and particularly complete tooth loss causes maxillary and mandibular bone atrophy, which is characterized by bone deterioration. The alveolar bone is primarily affected as it has autonomous development and retains its shape in the presence of permanent teeth. All these factors prevent adequate fixation of complete removable dentures (CRDs) and interfere with speaking, chewing, swallowing, etc. In this context, a person starts to encounter some social challenges.
These processes become particularly pronounced in elderly patients, who usually lose their permanent teeth much earlier and are repeatedly provided with CRDs. Oral cavity reconstruction requires modern diagnostic procedures, which are quite difficult to carry out for people of gerontological age (75 years and older), as it is almost impossible to fulfill the conditions for their implementation due to patient
age characteristics. In this regard, the dissertation presents original research on the diagnostic peculiarities, clinical pattern, and complications of complete tooth loss and orthopedic care for edentulous patients.
On the basis of the conducted research, new theoretical and practical results have been obtained. The findings demonstrate the efficiency of our complete removable denture construction in elderly patients with complicated anatomical and topographic conditions. New diagnostic criteria and treatment strategies have been identified and developed.
The purpose of the research is to improve the effectiveness of treatment in edentulous elderly patients who use complete removable dentures by studying the anatomical and topographic characteristics of their jaws, the state of their masticatory muscles, and their TMJ.
The object of the research is clinical, laboratory, and functional investigations of the masticatory apparatus of edentulous patients of gerontological.
The subject of the research is effectiveness of diagnosis and treatment in patients of gerontological age with complex anatomical and physiological conditions .
According to the established objectives and tasks, we identified the retention conditions of CRD fixation in elderly patients with edentulous upper and lower jaws. In addition, we studied the functional peculiarities of the masticatory musculature and determined the age-related features of the TMJ and their influence on the mandibular movements during chewing. According to the research findings, the masticatory function was enhanced due to improved clinical and laboratory stages of CRD production and suggested occlusal schemes.
