A Survey of the Application of the Shortened Dental Arch by Dentists in the UAE

Abstract

Background: The Shortened Dental Arch (SDA) is a dentition of no more than twenty teeth with an intact anterior region but a reduced number of occluding pairs of posterior teeth. The SDA concept is a valid treatment option in cases in which anteriors and premolars can provide adequate aesthetics, function, and occlusalstability. It focuses on providing the partially dentate patient with the advantages of oral functionality, improved oral hygiene, comfort, while avoiding overtreatment and its unnecessary cost. Aim: To evaluate the general attitude of dentists in the UAE towards the SDA concept and its application in their practice.

Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study utilizing an online voluntary and anonymous questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent to all dentists registered with Emirates Medical Association (EMA). The questionnaire consists of 17 questions which comprise demographics, awareness, application in dental practice, preferred treatment modality, and risks and benefits associated with SDA. This survey was carried out during the period ranging from June till October 2020. The data was analyzed using SPSS Statistics.

Results: The response rate reported was 40.3%. There is a general awareness of the SDA concept among UAE dentists (n=237, 65.8%); however, it is not usually applied in clinical practice (n=196, 54.7%). Specialists were more aware about the concept and applied it more frequently in their clinical practice than the General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) (P-value = 0.000, 0.041 respectively). Female dentists (n=71, 60.7%) preferred to provide molar support iii to their SDA patients more frequently than male dentists (n=109, 45.8%) (P-value 0.006). Respondents agreed that SDA was associated with the risks of teeth migration (n=211, 59.9%), tooth wear (n=196, 55.8%), and/or Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD) (n=163, 45.3%). Implant was found to be the treatment of choice for many of the participants (n=169, 46.6%) to replace missing molars followed by acrylic Removal Partial Denture (RPD) (n=129, 35.5%).

Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, most of the dentists who responded to this survey are aware of the SDA concept and have a positive attitude about it. However, they do not frequently apply it in clinical practice. The preferred treatment modality for SDA by many dentists in UAE is implants followed by acrylic RPD. Dentists in this study prefer to propose SDA to patients with limited financial resources and medically compromised patients.