Influence of denture‐bearing conditions on masticatory function and patient‐reported outcomes measures

Purpose To investigate the influence of different denture‐bearing conditions on the masticatory function and patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs) of complete denture wearers. Methods Sixty edentulous patients were selected and allocated into two groups according to the American College of Prosthodontics' (ACP) classification: non‐atrophic (NAT) (Classes I and II) (n = 24) and atrophic (AT) (Classes III and IV) (n = 36). All patients received new complete dentures (CDs). The objective variables (masticatory performance and swallowing threshold) were assessed as well as the PROMs (oral health‐related quality of life (OHIP‐EDENT), patient satisfaction) and quality of the prosthesis, at baseline (using the old CD) and after 4 months new prostheses use. Data were analyzed by Mann–Whitney test followed by the Generalized Equations Estimation (GEE), linear regression and Chi‐square test. Results Higher masticatory performance was observed in the NAT group (p