Estudo comparativo entre indivíduos com ausência de um dente posterior permanente com e sem tratamento protético

Abstract

The successful treatment of tooth loss is directly associated with a correct and systematic planning. However, in general, the decision-making process is based on the dentist s clinical experience and on publications that usually are no more than clinical observations with low scientific value. The purpose of this study was to evaluate, comparatively, the consequences of tooth loss in subjects presenting one missing tooth, in the posterior region, without treatment and subjects treated with fixed partial denture. Fifty-six subjects with a mean age of 42.86 years, who had lost one posterior tooth for at least 3 years without receiving any prosthetic treatment (Group 1 / n=28), or treated with fixed partial dentures for at least 3 years (group 2 / n=28) were consecutively selected from public and private dental clinics. Subjects were assessed for objective (age, sex, educational level, DMFT index, plaque index, gingival index and occlusal relationships) and subjective variables (satisfaction with the oral condition and chewing ability. The chi-square test and Fischer exact test were applied to analyze categorical parameters, and t test was used for numerical parameters. The significance level was set at 0.05. In general, there was no statistical difference between the two groups. With the parameters analyzed, the results of this study revealed that the absence of a permanent tooth does not cause changes that demand its replacement.