A case report of a patient with metal-based complete dentures from a long-term follow-up perspective

Background: Denture treatment is crucial for edentulous patients to maintain a long and healthy life, as well as restore their chewing function. After complete dentures are fitted, it is not uncommon for them to become ill-fitting due to ridge resorption over time, requiring adjustments or relining procedures. Residual ridge resorption results from the combined influence of various local and systemic factors. There have been no reported cases of patients who have worn complete dentures for an extended period without experiencing significant alveolar ridge resorption. I report a case of a patient who had not visited a dentist or had any adjustments for 28 years after being fitted with complete dentures. Case presentation: The patient, a 56-year-old woman, visited the general dentistry of the Nippon Dental University Hospital in Tokyo in March 1994. The diagnosis was masticatory dysfunction caused by ill-fitting upper and lower complete dentures. The treatment plan aimed to improve oral hygiene, restore the health of the alveolar ridge, and achieve proper occlusal contact with a final prosthetic device. The upper and lower dentures were fitted in May 1994. In November 2022, her artificial tooth broke, and she visited the clinic requesting denture repair for the first time in 28 years. A medical interview revealed that the patient had never visited another dental clinic since having dentures fitted 28 years ago. Although wear of the artificial teeth was observed, when the fitting condition of the upper and lower dentures was checked using fitting test materials, it was confirmed that there were no problems with the fitting condition and that there was almost no alveolar ridge resorption. Conclusion: I report on a patient who has worn the same dentures for 28 years. Although wear of the artificial teeth was observed due to bilateral balanced occlusion, the occlusal balance was appropriately maintained. It has been found that metal-based dentures, when fabricated using proper methods, do not promote alveolar ridge resorption.