Occlusal forces generated by edentulous patients with unfavourable conditions of the denture foundation area using complete dentures made according to the biofunctional system

The main aim of prosthetic rehabilitation of edentulous patients is to restore the biomechanical conditions of the masticatory system through the use of structural solutions that are most conducive to achieving this goal. Aim of the study. To evaluate whether the method of construction of full prostheses affects the magnitude and symmetry of the occlusal forces that are generated and to study the dynamics of changes in the occlusal forces that occur when using prostheses made according to the biofunctional system. Materials and methods. Thirty edentulous women aged 65–80 years with unfavourable prosthetic base conditions were included in the study. In the first stage, all patients were fitted with full prostheses constructed in accordance with traditional procedures (group K). After a three-month period of using these prostheses, instrumental measurements of the occlusal force were made (Test 1). In the second stage, the same patients were given prostheses constructed according to the principles of the biofunctional prosthetic system (BPS) (Group Z). Instrumental measurements of the occlusal forces thus generated were made after 24 hours (Test 2), one week (Test 3), and three months (Test 4) of use of these prostheses in order to assess their dynamics. The occlusal force measurements were carried out using a special measuring device that was inserted between the upper and lower incisors, then between the molars on the left and the right side. The measurements were processed using the Statistica software package. Results. The magnitude of the occlusal force in patients using the traditional full prostheses was 49.49 N at the incisors, 91.12 N at the right molars, and 75.95 N at the left molars. Replacing the prostheses with ones constructed according to the biofunctional system produced an increase in the occlusal force generated at the right and left molars; this force systematically increased in subsequent measurements – an average increase of 30 N over the forces produced with the traditional prostheses. These differences in the generated forces were statistically significant. Conclusions. 1. The method used to construct prostheses has a significant impact on the magnitude of the generated occlusal force. 2. The generation of larger occlusal forces with biofunctional prostheses may indicate that they have good retention in the prosthetic base. 3. When using a biofunctional prosthesis, a systematic increase in occlusal forces and their symmetric distribution across the occlusal surface can provide evidence that the prosthesis is creating favourable biomechanical conditions for muscle action.