Evaluation of clinical consequences postpartial edentulism in patients of Ranchi District: An epidemiological study

Aim: Partial edentulism is a state of missing one or more teeth in the dental arch and can arise due to multiple reasons including caries, periodontal disease, and trauma leading to deterioration of general health and lifestyle of the patient. Few studies have been documented regarding the behavior of the patients toward the consequences of partial edentulism and span of partial edentulism, but still, there is a paucity of information regarding the clinical findings among various age groups of partially edentulous patients of various regions in India. This study thereby aims to determine the various clinical consequences postpartial edentulism, among different age groups in Ranchi district of Jharkhand, India. Materials and Methods: About 1550 patients were screened and 120 partially edentulous cases were enrolled in this study. General information of the patient was entered in data sheet, and radiograph (orthopantomograph) was done. Information was gathered regarding various periodontal findings including proximal bone loss, drifting of adjacent teeth, supraeruption along with other clinical conditions such as difficulty in chewing, facial collapse, type of partial edentulism (Kennedy's class) to be correlated with age, and period of edentulousness. Results: Among 120 partially edentulous patients, 54.1% males and 45.8% females participated in the study. Among gender correlations, males predominated in Kennedy's Class I, II, and IV pattern of partially edentulousness whereas females showed greater Class III pattern which was statistically significant (P = 0.006). Maximum patients had difficulty in chewing (60%) whereas least presented with facial collapse (17.5%). Proximal bone loss was noted in elderly participants having >1 year of edentulousness (39.1%). Conclusions: Partial edentulousness results in multiple difficulties if not rehabilitated in the right time, thereby onus will be on the dental surgeon to motivate the patient regarding the importance of prosthetic rehabilitation