Purpose: To investigate the volumetric facial soft tissue changes associated with wearing complete dentures using 3D facial scans.
Materials and Methods: A total of 40 volunteers (20 men and 20 women) were recruited for this study and were treated with maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. Six facial scans were taken of each subject; three scans wearing a complete denture and three without the complete denture. The 3D facial scans were taken with the mouth in three positions: closed, relaxed, and smiling. Each scan was superimposed in order to analyze and quantify linear measurements involving 14 soft tissue landmarks and the total volume that the subject gained with the prosthesis.
Results: Three variables were evaluated in each analysis: gender, mouth position, and age. In the analysis of the soft tissue landmarks, there was a significant effect of age, with patients > 75 years showing the greatest changes (P < .05). The landmarks that showed the most changes were those located around the mouth. In the volumetric analysis, the variable with the highest influence was gender, with men gaining more volume than women (P < .05).
Conclusion: Complete dentures have a significant effect on volumetric changes in perioral tissues. These changes are more marked in patients > 75 years. Compared to women, men depicted greater volumetric changes with complete dentures. These results provide a new avenue for clinicians and developers using facial scans to design future restorations for edentulous patients.
