Dental prosthetics and temporomandibular disorders

Introduction: Edentulism, especially in the support areas, as well as pathological tooth wear (abrasion and attrition) of the hard dental tissues leads to a decrease in occlusal height and posterior translocation of the articular heads in central occlusion. Partial and complete edentulousness of patients disturbs their occlusal, phonetic function, as well as aesthetics. Aim: The aim of the present study is to investigate the relationship between the type of prosthetic treatment and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) complaints. Materials and Methods: A total of 152 patients who visited the Faculty of Dental Medicine at the Medical University of Varna and underwent prosthetic treatment were examined. The patients were evenly distributed by sex and age. They have been clinically examined and interviewed. Results: Slightly more than half of the patients underwent prosthetic treatment with partial dentures (53.9%), the rest—with complete dentures. Sex dependence was not established while, in terms of age, it was determined that the mean age was 64.5 years for patients treated with complete dentures and 57.2 years for partial dentures (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the type of dentures and complaints relat-ed to TMJ dysfunction (p = 0.030), finding that the likelihood of TMJ dysfunction in patients with complete dentures increased more than twice (OR = 2.124 (1.030–4.381); p < 0.05). Conclusion: The probability of TMJ dysfunction in patients with complete dentures is much higher than in those treated with partial dentures. Regardless of the type of the dentures, females are more prone to TMJ complaints.