COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECT OF LOCAL OZONE THERAPY ON THE ADAPTATION PROCESS TO COMPLETE REMOVABLE DENTURES IN ELDERLY PATIENTS

The clinical and laboratory effectiveness of local ozone therapy (ozonated olive oil) during the adaptation period to complete removable acrylic dentures in elderly completely edentulous patients was comparatively evaluated. Patients were divided into a control group (conventional prosthetic treatment) and a comparison group (conventional prosthetics combined with local ozone therapy). Over a follow-up period of 14 days to 6 months, denture hygiene (Ambjørnsen index), gingival inflammation, subjective complaints, mixed saliva parameters (secretion rate, pH, viscosity), oral microflora, and Candida spp. colonization were analyzed. In patients treated with conventional prosthetics, denture hygiene deteriorated after two weeks, accompanied by more pronounced signs of microbial imbalance. In contrast, patients receiving local ozone therapy demonstrated better preservation of hygiene indices, absence of Candida colonization, enhanced epithelial regeneration, and a more rapid reduction of subjective complaints. Local ozone therapy was assessed as an effective pathogenetic method, reducing the adaptation period to complete removable dentures by approximately 30%.