Orthodontic treatment combined with 3D printing guide plate implant restoration for edentulism and its influence on mastication and phonic function

BACKGROUND: Dentition defect, a common clinical oral disease developed in humans, not only causes masticatory dysfunction and articulation difficulties but also affects facial appearance and increases the burden on the intestinal tract. Restorative treatment is the primary option for this disease. However, traditional restorations have many drawbacks, such as mismatch with the body, low reliability, and incomplete occlusal function recovery. AIM: to analyze the efficacy of orthodontics combined with 3D printing guide plate implant restoration in treating patients with dentition defects and its influence on masticatory and phonic functions. METHODS: A prospective study was carried out in 86 patients with dentition defects who received implant prosthesis after orthodontic treatment in our hospital between January 2018 and January 2019. Those patients were divided into a control group and an intervention group with 43 patients in each group using a random number table. The control group received traditional implant restoration, whereas the intervention group received 3D printing guide plate implant restoration. Treatment outcomes, cosmetic appearance, dental function, implant deviation, and quality of life were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The overall response rate in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group (95.35% vs 81.40%, χ(2) = 4.071, P = 0.044). The number of cases with neatly trimmed cosmetic appearance (χ(2) = 4.497, P = 0.034), complete coverage (χ(2) = 4.170, P = 0.041), and normal occlusion (χ(2) = 5.512, P = 0.019) in the intervention group was higher than that in the control group. After treatment, mastication, swallowing, and articulation were significantly improved in both groups. Masticatory (t = 2.980, P = 0.004), swallowing (t = 2.199, P = 0.031), and phonic functions (t = 3.950, P = 0.004) were better in the intervention group than those in the control group. The deviation value and the deviation angle (t = 5.440, P = 0.000) at the top (t = 6.320, P = 0.000) and middle parts of the implants (t = 22.295, P = 0.000) in the intervention group were lower than those in the control group after treatment. Functional limitations, psychosocial and physical pain and discomfort, and total scores decreased in both groups. The functional limitation (t = 2.379, P = 0.020), psychosocial (t = 2.420, P = 0.000), physical pain and discomfort (t = 6.581, P = 0.000), and total scores (t = 2.140, P = 0.035) were lower in the intervention group than those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Orthodontic treatment combined with 3D printing guide plate implant restoration can significantly improve the masticatory and phonic functions, quality of life, and psychological health of patients with dentition defects. Therefore, it is highly recommended in clinic application.