Abstract

GAHONA, José Osvaldo; ARGANDONA, Juan; PIZARRO, Andrea  and  DIAZ, Víctor. THE IMPACT OF REMOVABLE PROSTHESIS ON THE POSITION OF THE TONGUE DURING RESTING AND SWALLOWING STATES, AND ON THE SAGITTAL SIZE OF THE OROPHARYNGEAL AIRWAY. Rev Fac Odontol Univ Antioq [online]. 2013, vol.24, n.2, pp.243-257. ISSN 0121-246X.

INTRODUCTION: removable dentures and their influence on lingual position have not been clinically and radiographically tested. The objective of this study was to determine whether dentures cause clinical changes in tongue position and swallowing patterns, as well as radiographic changes in the sagittal caliber of the oropharyngeal airway in patients with molar table loss. METHODS: by means of a pretest-posttest preexperimental design in a single group, 15 patients were evaluated at three different times: pretreatment (T1), immediately after inserting the prosthesis (T2) and 6 months afterwards (T3). Lingual position was evaluated according to Kotsiomiti. Swallowing patterns were assessed according to Bossart. The cephalometric analysis by Delaire and Argandoña was conducted in order to measure the oropharyngeal airway. The clinical data were statistically analyzed by using the Friedman test, and for cephalometry both the variance analysis test (ANOVA) and Duncan test were used (p > 0.05). RESULTS: highly significant differences were found in tongue position, ranging from upper abnormal position to lower normal position. In terms of swallowing pattern, significant differences were found, ranging from lingual-mandibular to lingual-dental. The sagittal caliber of oropharyngeal airway significantly decreased between T1 and T2. CONCLUSIONS: clinically, positive changes occur in tongue position at rest and in swallowing pattern. Negative changes in the oropharyngeal airway after inserting dentures tend to revert within 6 months of use as a consequence of the structural and functional accommodation of the tongue mass.

Keywords : complete denture; removable partial dentures; tongue; oropharynx; cephalometry.

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