IMPLEMENTATION OF NEUROMUSCULAR DENTISTRY PRINCIPLES IN REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH COMPLETE ADENTIA

Abstract

According to World Health Organization about 15% of the world’s adult population suffer from complete adentia, with a steady growth in the number of patients affecting not only the elderly which is accounted for by an increase in life expectancy, yet also among people in their working age. Apart from disturbed chewing and speech functions, complete adentia leads to altered anatomical and topographic proportions of the face and facial skeleton, progressive atrophy and osteoporosis of the jaws, masticatory and mimic muscle atrophy, as well as to dysfunction affecting these muscles and temporomandibular joints. Due to lack of proper nutrition, changed exterior, issues in interaction with others, this group of patients develop a whole set of psychosomatic reactions finally causing social withdrawal. Rehabilitation of patients with complete loss of teeth is an urgent issue. However, the effectiveness of prosthetic treatment depends not only on the denture manufacturing technology, but on the quality of functioning involving the maxillofacial organs in combination with the respective orthopedic appliances. Whereas precise and reliable assessment of the maxillofacial neuromuscular balance enables to predict immediate and long-term outcomes of orthopedic treatment. Employing the principles of neuromuscular dentistry allows us to assess reliably the changes in the reflex mechanisms of muscular apparatus. This was carried out throughout all the stages of prosthetic treatment in patients with complete adentia with intraosseous implants with fixed bridges and conditionally removable dentures.