A case of full-arch rehabilitation of a partially edentulous patient with limited occlusal support preventing transition to non‒vertical stop occlusion

Abstract

Patient: The patient was an 84-year-old woman who came to our hospital with the chief complaint of difficulty with mastication. There was only one remaining occlusal support, and the dentures she was wearing had poor form and occlusion. She was diagnosed with a masticatory disorder due to ill-fitting dentures.

Discussion: The remaining teeth were connected by prosthetics to distribute the load and occlusal support in the molar area was established with dentures, because it was predicted that the loss of occlusal support would lead to a transition to non-vertical stop occlusion. As a result, there were no problems with the abutment teeth or prosthetic device and the outcome was also favorable according to subjective and objective evaluations at 3 years after the treatment.

Conclusion: Full-arch prosthetic treatment not only improved functionality but also prevented transition to non-vertical stop occlusion, thereby contributing to an improvement in the patient’s QOL.