Dental implants in the atrophic maxilla: measurements of patients' satisfaction and treatment experience

Maxillary bone reconstruction in combination with placement of dental implants is a treatment modality reported since 1980 for patients suffering from maxillary atrophy and difficulties with wearing removable prosthesis. This study reports on patient experience and satisfaction among 88 consecutive patients concerning surgical and prosthetic aspects of their treatment. A questionnaire was used to gather the data. Patient satisfaction was measured on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 = bad/few, 5 = very good/much). The satisfaction index with regard to the total treatment was 4.1 +/- 0.9. A total of 90% of the patients responded that they would go through the treatment again or recommend the treatment to a friend if necessary. The post-operative pain index scored 2.6 +/- 1.2. The acceptation of the post-operative pain at the crista iliaca was 86.1% and of the maxilla 89.9%. It is concluded that the results of measurements of patient satisfaction after maxillary bone reconstruction in combination with placement of dental implants were acceptable.