The aim of study was to evaluate subjective evaluation of short dental arch with moderate and
severe destruction treated periodontally and to examine how the patients have thought this
situation after adjusting themselves more than 1 year. Ninety patients in the moderate level
of economy(gross income per year ≤US ＄30,000) were participated in this study. Of ninety,
thirty patients had been treated periodontally and all molar teeth with poor prognosis extracted
(SDA: short dental arch). One other thirty patients had kept all distal molar in spite of more
than degree 2 furcation involvement (CDA: complete but periodontally compromised dental arch).
The last other thirty patients with severe periodontal disease were threated periodontally
and restored with cross-arch designed FPD/s on few remaining abutment teeth (FPD: fixed partial
denture). At the time of final examination of periodontal condition and follow-up examination
after more than 1 year, clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations were carried out. A
questionnaire was provided to each patient to assess by her/himself the short dental arch in
terms of several functional variables-mastication, phonetics, hygienics, aesthetics, chewing
comfort.
Eighty percent in SDA, 67% in CDA groups and 100% FPD groups had lost around 70% of the whole
periodontal tissue of all teeth in each jaw. Even with much destruction of periodontal support,
most teeth have shown stable for one year. For one and half years, most patients in SDA and
CDA except one have adjusted themselves well and have not asked to have any prosthtic treatments
done. A few patients with short dental arch avoided some foods (raw peanut and dried squid)
and none complained about chewing ordinary foods in Korean dishes. Most patients in SDA groups
have been satisfied with this situation in terms of function-mastication, phonetics, hygiene,
aesthetics and chewing comfort in short-term observation. And they replied that they will not
get any treatments for the restoration of molar teeth with conventional removable partial
denture or implant therapy if there will be no complications in future.
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