Patients' satisfaction with design of removable denture.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the area and weight of removable dentures could influence patients' satisfaction with their dentures. The weight and area (projected area on occlusal plane) of 37 maxillary removable resin-based dentures fabricated in Okayama University Hospital were measured. Full consent from all of the denture users examined in this study was obtained prior to the test. Examination of the visual analogue scale (VAS) for denture satisfaction (0-100%) was performed for 13 users of these dentures. Statistical correlation between the denture areas and the number of missing teeth, and between denture weights and the number of missing teeth was examined. Statistical correlation between the VAS satisfaction level for dentures and the area⁄number of missing teeth, and between the VAS satisfaction level for dentures and the weight⁄number of missing teeth was also examined. A positive correlation was observed between the area of the denture base and the number of missing teeth (r = 0.854, p<0.001). A positive correlation was also observed between denture weight and the number of missing teeth (r = 0.842, p<0.001). According to the increase of the number of missing teeth, the area and weight of dentures increased. Therefore, the statistical level was estimated by dividing area and weight by the number of missing teeth. Positive correlation was observed between the VAS satisfaction level and the area⁄number of missing teeth (r = 0.645, p=0.017); in contrast, no statistical correlation was observed between the VAS satisfaction level and the weight⁄number of missing teeth. A positive correlation was observed between patients' satisfaction and area of the denture base⁄number of missing teeth. Patients' satisfaction with removable maxillary dentures did not depend merely on decreasing the size of the denture base.