Satisfaction of patients fitted with implant-retained overdentures

to evaluate patient satisfaction with implant-retained overdentures, and its relationship with age, sex, period of follow-up, the rehabilitated jaw (maxilla, mandible or both), number of implants, splinting, type of attachment and the antagonist.

the study comprised patients with overdentures fitted between January 1996 and June 2007, and with a minimum follow-up of one year. Data regarding patients and prostheses were collected. The patients indicated their overall satisfaction on a visual analogue scale (VAS) from 0 to 10, as well as satisfaction for individual items such as aesthetics, speech, mastication, prosthetic stability and self-esteem. These data were collected one month after fitting the prostheses, at 12 months and at a final examination. Statistical analyses were made using the SPSS version 15, statistical significance was considered for p<0.05.

the study included 95 patients, 43 men and 52 women, with a mean age of 55.9 years; 76 edentulous mandibles and 31 edentulous maxillae were rehabilitated with 107 overdentures. One hundred and thirty-seven implants were placed in the maxilla, and 224 in the mandible. The mean level of overall satisfaction was 9 at one month of fitting the prosthesis, 8.8 at 12 months and 8.7 at the final control (mean 71 months).

the patients fitted with implant-retained overdentures expressed a high level of overall satisfaction, independently of age, sex, length of follow-up, rehabilitated jaw, number of implants per overdenture, whether splinted or non-splinted, and type of attachment. Men were more satisfied with mastication and stability.