Research

Research Article
Article

Prevalence of partial edentulism according to Kennedy’s

classification based on age, gender, and arch
R. A. Devishree, S Sangeetha, Ashish R. Jain*

ABSTRACT

Background: The purpose of classification of partial edentulous arches provides communication between dental colleagues,
students, technician about the case, for planning good treatment and to design the partial denture. It also predicts the difficulties
commonly occurring with particular removable partial denture design. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the
prevalence of partial edentulism according to Kennedy classification. Aim: This study aims to evaluate and compare the
frequency of prevalence of various partial edentulism based on Kennedy’s classification in relation to arch, age, and gender
of the patients. Methodology: The study was conducted in patients attending outpatient clinic in Saveetha Dental College
and Hospital. The survey was done in 200 patients based on age groups (20–30 years, 30–40 years, 40–50 years, and 50–
60 years), arch (maxilla and mandible), and genders (male and female). The survey was done by doing visual examination for
determining the prevalence of partial edentulism. Result: Based on the data collected, the prevalence of Class III was more in
both the genders of about 70% followed by the prevalence of Class I accounting for about 16% in female and 11% in males.
Conclusion: Kennedy’s Class III was the most common in both dental arches. Gender had no effect on the prevalence of
various Kennedy’s classes, while age had a significant effect. Mandibular partial edentulism was found to be more common
than maxillary partial edentulism.

KEY WORDS: Kennedy’s classes, Partial edentulous, Prevalence, Tissue support, Tooth support, Visualization

INTRODUCTION it allows the differentiation between tooth born and

Edentulism (partial) is an indicator of the oral
health of a population.[1-5] The purpose of partial
edentulous arches provides communication
between dental colleagues, students, technician
about the case, for planning good treatment and
to design the partial denture. It also predicts the
difficulties commonly occurring with particular
removable partial denture design.[6-9] The variation
in number and location of the edentulous space
and its relation to the remaining natural teeth
necessitates to classify the partial edentulous
arches.[9,10] There are numbers of classifying the
partially edentulous arches. The common one
are Cummer, Kennedy, Applegates, Neurohr,
Bailyn, Wild, Skinner, and Avant.[11,12] At present,
Kennedy’s is probably the most widely accepted
one, because it provides immediate visualization,
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tooth tissue born partial denture.[3,4,13- 15] Kennedy’s
classification: Class I: Bilateral edentulous area
presents posterior to remaining natural teeth,
Class II: Unilateral edentulous area presents
posterior to remaining natural teeth, Class III:
Unilateral edentulous area with natural teeth
both anterior and posterior to it, Class IV: Single
but bilateral edentulous area presents anterior to
remaining natural teeth. Kennedy classified all
the partially edentulous into four categories in
order of descending frequency of occurrence at
the time of proposal. Hence, this study was done
to investigate the prevalence of partial edentulism
according to Kennedy’s based on arch, age group,
and gender.
METHODOLOGY
The study was conducted randomly in 200 patients
who visited Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals,
Saveetha University, Chennai, India. Thorough oral

Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

*Corresponding author: Dr. Ashish R. Jain, Department of Prosthodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital,
Saveetha University, Ponamalle High Road, Chennai - 600 077, Tamil Nadu, India. Phone: +91-9884233423.
E-mail: dr.ashishjain_r@yahoo.com

Received on: 19-12-2017; Revised on: 27-01-2018; Accepted on: 26-03-2018

108 Drug Invention Today | Vol 10 • Issue 1 • 2018

 R. A. Devishree, et al.

examination and maxillary and mandibular study
casts of patient were analyzed. The study was done in
patients of different age groups from 20 to 30 years,
30–40 years, 40–50 years, and 50–60 years, in both
male and females. The recorded data were analyzed
and compared. In this study, partial edentulous
situation on each patient was recorded and tabulated
according to Kennedy’s based on the groups - gender,
arch, and age. The data collected was tabulated using a
computerized spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel 2010 and
it was analyzed using descriptive statistics.
Inclusion Criteria
Study population who satisfied following criteria were
included in the study:
1. Patients age of 20–60 years irrespective of sex,
race, and socioeconomic status having partially
edentulism in either or both the arches.
Exclusion Criteria
1. Patients having complete edentulism and missing
third molars.
RESULT
A total of 200 study population were examined
to assess the prevalence of partial edentulousness
according to Kennedy’s based on the gender, the
maxillary and mandibular arches, and aged groups 20–
30 years, 30–40 years, 40–50 years, and 50–60 years.
The prevalence of Class III Kennedy’s was more in
both the arches and in all age groups of about 76%
in female and 77.9% in males. The prevalence of
Class IKennedy’s in both female and males was
observed in age groups 30–40 years, 40–50 years,
and 50–60 years only. The prevalence of Class II
Kennedy’s in all age group and only in mandibular
arch was observed to be 6.25% in females and 4.8%
males. The prevalence of Class IV was less in female
only 1% compared to male 6.7% in both arch and all
age groups. Based on the data collected, the prevalence
of Class III is more in both the genders followed by
the prevalence of Class I accounting for about 16.7%
in females and 10.6% in males [Tables 1 and 2].
DISCUSSION
The primary purpose in using a classification for
removable partial edentulous cases is used to simplify
the description of potential combination of teeth to
ridges. In this study, the Kennedy’s was employed as it
permits easy visualization of partially edentulous arch.
The objective of this study is based on the comparison
of edentulous area with gender, age, maxillary arch,

Table 1: Prevalence of partial edentulism in female patient in all age group (20–30 years, 30–40 years, 40–50 years,
and 50–60 years)
Female
Age Arch 20–30 30–40 40–50 50–60 Percentage
Class I Maxilla 0 1 2 4 7.3
Mandible 0 4 1 4 9.3
Total 0 5 3 8 16.7
Class II Maxilla 0 0 0 0 0
Mandible 2 2 1 1 6.2
Total 2 2 1 1 6.2
Class III Maxilla 10 9 7 5 32.3
Mandible 9 15 10 8 43.8
Total 19 24 17 13 76.0
Class IV Maxilla 0 0 1 0 1.0
Mandible 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 1 0 1.0

Table 2: Prevalence of partial edentulism in male patient in all age group (20–30 years, 30–40 years, 40–50 years,
and 50–60 years)
Male
Age Arch 20–30 30–40 40–50 50–60 Percentage
Class I Maxilla 0 2 2 2 5.8
Mandible 0 1 2 2 4.8
Total 0 3 4 4 10.6
Class II Maxilla 0 0 0 0 0
Mandible 1 4 0 0 4.8
Total 1 4 0 0 4.8
Class III Maxilla 17 8 2 8 33.7
Mandible 22 5 6 13 44.2
Total 39 13 8 21 77.9
Class IV Maxilla 1 3 0 0 3.8
Mandible 0 1 0 2 2.9
Total 1 4 0 2 6.7

Drug Invention Today | Vol 10 • Issue 1 • 2018 109

 R. A. Devishree, et al.
Figure 1: Percentage showing female population
Figure 2: Percentage showing male population
and mandibular arch. The result of this study indicated
a prevalence of Class III followed by Class I in both
the gender and arch and in all age groups. According
to age, there is more prevalence of Class III Kennedy’s
in 20–30 years and Class I Kennedy’s in 50–60 years
in both the gender. This results are similar to study by
Prabhu et al.[11] According to the arch, the prevalence of
Kennedy’s Class III was observed more in mandible than
maxilla in both the genders. In female, the total count
for maxilla is 32.3% and mandible is 43.8% [Figure 1],
and for male, the total count for maxilla is 33.6% and
mandible is 44.2% [Figure 2]. This result is similar to
the study by Prabhu et al. where Kennedy’s Class III was
encountered 58% in mandible and 56% in maxilla.[10]
In female, the maxillary and mandibular count was
more pronounced to be in 30–40 years of age groups,
and for male, the maxillary and mandibular count was
more pronounced to be in 20–30 years of age groups.
CONCLUSION
Kennedy’s Class III is the most common in both dental
arches. Gender had no effect on the prevalence of
110
various Kennedy’s classes, while age has a significant
effect. Mandibular partial edentulism found to be
more common than maxillary partial edentulism.
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Source of support: Nil; Conflict of interest: None Declared
Drug Invention Today | Vol 10 • Issue 1 • 2018