Effects of prosthetic treatment for shortened dental arches on oral health-related quality of life, self-reports of pain and jaw disability: results from the pilot-phase of a randomized multicentre trial

A multi-centre randomized clinical trial is under way at 14 university dental schools in Germany to compare prosthodontic treatments for the shortened dental arch (SDA). One of the aims of this pilot-study was to measure the effect of two treatment options of the SDA on oral health-related quality of life and on the Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Thirty-four patients participated in the pilot-study. Inclusion criteria were: all molars were missing and the presence of at least both canines and one premolar in each quadrant. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either removable partial dentures including molar replacement (RPD_group) or ret…