Impact of Treatment with Unilateral Implant- Supported Fixed Partial Prosthesis on the Frequency of Masticatory Side Switches in Patients with Unilateral Posterior Missing Teeth.

This study aimed to determine the impact of treatment with an implant-supported fixed partial prosthesis (ISFPP) on the frequency of masticatory side switches in patients with unilateral posterior missing teeth. This was a prospective study of 30 patients with unilateral posterior missing teeth treated with one-, two-, or three-unit ISFPPs. Comparison was with 10 healthy individuals with complete natural dentitions. Each participant performed masticatory assays, which involved chewing pieces of silicon inside a latex bag, at baseline and at 3-months' follow-up. The frequency of masticatory side switches was reported as the masticatory side-switch index: the number of side switches divided by the maximum number of possible switches. Data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U test, or Wilcoxon test, as appropriate. At baseline, the masticatory side-switch index was lower only in patients with three missing teeth than in controls. At 3 months after treatment, a significant increase in the masticatory side-switch index was only observed in patients treated with three restorative units. Treatment with ISFPPs does not change the masticatory side-switch frequency in patients with unilateral posterior missing teeth, though it could increase it in patients with three missing teeth.