The Effect of Complete Prosthesis Treatment on Serum Iron and Folic Acid Levels in Prosthetic Patients of Tehran Dental School

Nutrition of toothless patients and providing their diet in a way that can meet the nutritional needs of their body should always be considered in providing a complete prosthesis. Tehran Dental School, before and after receiving alternative prostheses and examining changes in their serum levels. In this interventional study, the subjects were 30 patients referred to the prosthetics department, including 17 women and 13 men. The data collection tool was a standardized questionnaire consisting of two parts, the first part containing personal information. The second part included a table in which information about the primary and secondary levels of iron and folic acid in the serum was identified. The primary level of iron and folic acid after 3 months of the edentulous period and the secondary level indicated the serum level of the two, three months after the delivery of the complete prosthesis (artificial teeth). Then, paired t-test and independent t-test were used for statistical analysis. Evaluation of the data obtained from the study population, whose mean age was 52.6 years, showed a low serum level of iron and folic acid in these people compared to normal people, both in primary and secondary sampling. Also, changes in the secondary level of iron compared to the primary level did not show a significant decrease, while this decrease was significant for folic acid (P = 0.003). The study of these changes in terms of sex difference also showed only a significant difference in serum iron (P = 0.012), while in the case of folic acid, there was no difference in the rate of secondary reduction between men. The placement of alternative prostheses in toothless people could not affect improving their diet. For this reason, these patients should be trained to modify their diet with supplements and other substances when delivering prostheses or to have control courses in terms of health and nutrition.