Research Article | Open Access
ANALYSIS INTO FREEWAY SPACE ACHIEVED DURING COMPLETE DENTURE CONSTRUCTION
Rangeela M Dr Suresh Venugopalan
Pages: 5236-5246
Abstract
INTRODUCTION:Rest position, also called as inter occlusal rest position or freeway space (FWS), has
been defined as the neutral position attained by the mandible as it is involuntarily suspended by the
reciprocal coordination of the elevator and depressor masticatory muscles with the maxillary and
mandibular teeth separated. The amount of freeway space (FWS) in any individual is mainly an
expression of muscle function, its equilibrium and gravity.
MATERIALS AND METHOD:A total of 422 patients were involved in this study based on the
inclusion and exclusion criteria. The study was conducted among complete denture patients reported to
Saveetha dental college and hospital,Chennai. All the data were entered in the excel sheet and data
analysis was done using SPSS software. Chi square test was used to find an association between the study
variables
RESULTS:Mean measurements of freeway space of edentulous subjects in this study were within the
recommended range (2–4 mm) for edentulous patients. Among 422 study subjects, the mean age group
was found to be 53.29 and 55 to 70 years age groups were reported higher in number(54.5%). The gender
distribution of the patients were reported as 259 were males and 163 were females. The most common
freeway space achieved during the construction of complete denture was 3 mm.
CONCLUSION: The study results conclude that the most commonly achieved freeway space during the
complete denture construction was 3 mm (42.65% of cases). The most common age group with 3 mm of
freeway space was seen in 55 to 70 years older adults. It was identified that 1 mm (3.55%) of freeway
space was commonly seen in 30 to 45 years indicating inadequate inter arch space during the rest phase.
Keywords
Freeway space, complete denture, Rest position, edentulous,innovation