PERCEPTIONS OF COMPLETE DENTURES BY PROSPECTIVE IMPLANT PATIENTS

implant-supported prostheses. Materials and Methods: Sixty-nine patien ts who were referred for postgraduate prosthetic treatment at Wits Den tal School completed a self-report inventory of items related to their dentures in current use. Conventional dentures were fabricated for al l subjects. Those patients who could not adapt to conventional complet e denture treatment were referred for treatment with implant-supported prostheses provided that they conformed with the recommended criteria for this treatment modality. Results: Analysis of the inventory of pr etreatment denture complaints yielded variables that differentiated be tween the group who remained with conventional dentures and the group that was referred for implants. Significant variables were the period that a mandibular denture was used before new dentures were requested (P = 0.025); the period that a maxillary denture was used before furth er treatment was sought (P = 0.03); the discarding of a mandibular den ture (P = 0.035); and pain complaints related to maxillary dentures (P = 0.045). A logistic regression model was used to compare the clinica l division of the sample with that determined by the mathematic model. Sixty-six percent of the subjects who accepted conventional treatment and 69% of implant patients corresponded for both classifications. Co nclusion: The authors conclude that pretreatment denture complaints ca n be useful diagnostic aids for evaluating patients who are likely to benefit from implant-supported prostheses.