Complete dentures in the Health Public Services of Curitiba, Brazil

The Dental Specialty Centre Sylvio Gevaerd was inaugurated in November 2006 in Curitiba city, Brazil, and was the first public centre to offer treatment with complete dentures in the region. Objectives: This study evaluated the profile of all the edentulous subjects rehabilitated with complete dentures in 2007 and 2008, the number and features of complete dentures fabricated and delivered, and the present situation of denture wear. Methods: Data on the number of complete dentures was recorded using specific forms of the Brazilian Public Health System (APACS - authorization for high cost procedures), which also contained information on age, sex, and arch rehabilitated with denture (maxilla, mandible or both). The situation of denture wear was collected using a questionnaire applied to 120 subjects randomly chosen from the sample. Results: The results showed that 2,128 complete dentures were fabricated and delivered to 1,302 subjects. Most subjects (77%) required dentures for both archs, 21% only for maxilla and 2% only for mandible. Most subjects were female (67%) and were classified in the age group of 51 to 70 years old (56%). Regarding denture wear, 97.5% of the interviewees reported satisfaction with the treatment provided, but 28% subjects stopped the use of at least one denture, which corresponded to 25% of the delivered dentures. About 85% of the denture wear quit occurred up to the 15th day after the last control appointment, and the main reasons were: trauma in the denture-bearing mucosa (58%), poor esthetics (14%), lack of retention (12%), denture fracture (3%), nausea (3%) and others (9%). Conclusion: Although most subjects reported satisfaction with the oral health care provided at the Dental Specialty Centre Sylvio Gevaerd, it might be necessary to introduce changes in the system to improve services and reduce the number of subjects who quit wearing the complete dentures delivered