Head and Cervical Spine Postures in Complete Denture Wearers

ABSTRACT

Signs and symptoms in the stomatognathic system and head and cervical spine postures were evaluated in 10 edentulous patients prior to renewal of their dentures, as well as immediately and six months after insertion of new dentures. Natural head posture was recorded using the fluid-level method and measured from the roentgen cephalograms. It was shown that the variables duration of edentuiousness and free-way space displayed positive correlations with the dysfunction symptoms. In addition, the patients who needed oral rehabilitation the most, who received the greatest reduction in their free-way space, were seen to have raised their heads more than average. There was also an inverse correlation between the reduction of clinical dysfunction index score and cervical spine postures.

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Notes on contributors

Maarit A.M. Salonen

Dr. Maarit A.M. Salonen received her D.D.S. degree from the Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, Finland, in 1979. She has been a teacher and senior lecturer at the Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland, since 1979, in the Department of Prosthodontics and Stomatognathic Physiology.

Aune M. Raustia

Dr. Aune M. Raustia received her D.D.S. degree from the Institute of Dentistry, University of Helsinki, Finland, in 1974. She has been a teacher in the Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland, since 1978. She received her Odont. Dr. degree from the same university in 1986. Dr. Raustia currently works as a senior lecturer in the Department of Prosthodontics and Stomatognathic Physiology, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Finland.

Jan Huggare

Dr. Jan Å. Huggare received his D.D.S. degree from the Institute of Dentistry, University of Turku, in 1977. He has been a teacher in the Department of Oral Development and Orthodontics, University of Oulu, where he also received his Odont. Dr. degree in 1987, and is presently a senior lecturer. He is also an instructor for postgraduate orthodontic teaching at the Universities of Oulu and Kuopio. From 1992, Dr. Huggare has been a visiting postgraduate research fellow at the Dental School, University of Otago, New Zealand.