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Patients' expectations, satisfaction, and quality of life with immediate loading protocol
Melanie Menassa1, Pierre de Grandmont1, Nicholas Audy1
1Département de Dentisterie de Restauration, Faculté de Médecine Dentaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.
Objectives:
To examine patients' expectations, the level of satisfaction, and the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with regard to the implants' immediate loading protocol (ILP) in edentate individuals.
Methods:
This pilot trial used a pre-post design to assess patient-centered outcomes in 18 edentate individuals (mean age 62.4 ± 7.7 years) who have received a 2-implant (unsplinted) mandibular overdenture through an ILP. Visual analog scales, the McGill denture satisfaction questionnaire, and the oral health impact profile (OHIP-20) questionnaire were used to evaluate patients' expectations, satisfaction, and OHRQoL at baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 4 months after surgery. Personality trait and socio-demographic information were obtained using the revised NEO personality inventory and a self-administered questionnaire, respectively. Non-parametric methods and Brunner-Langer approach were used to analyze the data.
Results:
The participants had a wide range of expectations regarding the ILP. Expectations included short-term positive impact on aesthetics (83.3%) and social life (55.7%), as well as negative effects on comfort (5.6%), the ability to chew (11.1%), and the ability to clean the lower denture (11.1%). The ILP satisfied 94.4% of the participants, regardless of socio-demographic and personality profiles. There was a statistically significant improvement in overall satisfaction, comfort, perceived aesthetics, stability of the overdenture, and ability to chew from baseline to 2-week, 1-, and 4-month follow-up (P < 0.001). There was 100% agreement among patients on recommending this procedure to others. There was a statistically significant decrease in the total OHIP scores and all its domains (P < 0.001) from baseline to 2 weeks. These differences remained statistically significant at 4-month follow-up. The ILP improved patients' OHRQoL, regardless of the implant loss, the socio-demographic characteristics, and personality traits.
Conclusions:
The ILP of two unsplinted implants with a mandibular overdenture significantly improved satisfaction and short-term OHRQoL, and appears to meet expectations in edentulous elders. There was 100% agreement among patients on recommending this procedure to others.
