Abstract:
Aim: The aim of this crossover study was to evaluate oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and masseter muscle activity in patients with digital complete dentures constructed using combined intra-oral and face scanning versus the indirect method as compared to conventional complete dentures. Materials and methods: Twelve completely edentulous patients were selected. All participants received three complete dentures: a conventional complete denture (CCD), a digital complete denture constructed using intra-oral and face scans (IFDD), and a digital complete denture constructed using the indirect method (INDD). A crossover study design was followed. The sequence of wearing dentures was random. The masseter muscle activity and OHRQoL results were measured after three months of using each denture type. Results: There were insignificant differences in OHRQoL scores and masseter muscle activity between INDD and IFDD, while significant differences between conventional and digital dentures were found. INDD showed the lowest oral health scores (2.31±0.65), followed by IFDD (2.44±0.63), and CCD showed the highest scores (3.20±0.40). The INDD group showed the highest masseter muscle activity, followed by IFDD, while the lowest activity was measured in the CCD set. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, OHRQoL and masseter muscle activity were better in patients with digital complete dentures than conventional dentures. Also, the indirect method of digital complete denture construction led to a slightly better quality of life and higher masseter muscle activity than intra-oral and face scanning.