Maintaining Oral Function in Ageing Populations: Evidence-Based Strategies in Removable Prosthodontics

Dear Colleagues,

Maintaining oral function in ageing populations has become an increasingly important clinical and public health issue, as tooth loss, reduced occlusal support, and oral hypofunction are closely linked to malnutrition, frailty, and diminished quality of life in older adults. Removable prosthodontics plays a central role in preserving and restoring oral function; however, there is still a need for robust, evidence-based guidance on how many teeth, in which regions, and with what types of prosthetic designs are required to maintain adequate masticatory and daily functioning in geriatric patients. This Special Issue, “Maintaining Oral Function in Ageing Populations: Evidence-Based Strategies in Removable Prosthodontics,” aims to bridge clinical practice and research in removable prosthodontics by providing a platform for integrated discussion of remaining tooth number, occlusal support, denture design, and the assessment and management of oral hypofunction. The topic fits squarely within the journal scope, encompassing clinical prosthodontics, oral physiology, biomechanics, and geriatric dentistry.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following themes: functional thresholds for remaining teeth and “functional dentition” in older adults; occlusal support and shortened dental arch concepts and their implications for denture planning; design, fabrication, and clinical outcomes of removable partial dentures, complete dentures, and implant-assisted removable prostheses in ageing populations; assessment and management of oral hypofunction using objective and subjective tools; and relationships between oral function, nutrition, frailty, sarcopenia, cognitive decline, and mortality. We invite clinicians and researchers in removable prosthodontics and related fields to contribute high-quality work that will help establish a new paradigm of denture prosthodontics for ageing societies.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yoko Hasegawa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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