Assessment of lung function in partially edentulous patients using spirometry: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of partially edentulous ()PED condition on lung function through spirometry tests and comparison of airflow rates between dentulous and PED subjects. The study design was a cross-sectional study conducted in the department of prosthodontics. Twenty-eight dentulous and 28 PED patients with an age range of 25-50 years were included in the study. Patients with missing more than 3 posterior teeth were considered PED. All have undergone spirometric evaluation. Independent t-test was used. In all three spirometric measures (forced vital capacity [FVC], forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1], and peak expiratory flow rate [PEFR]), the PED participants had significantly lower FVC, FEV1 (P = 0.0005), and PEFR (P = 0.032) airflow rates than dentulous participants, and males had higher airflow rates than females. FVC, FEV1, and PEFR airflow rates were lower in PED individuals. The lower airflow rates could suggest the possible tendency to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).