Esthetic outcome of implant-supported single-tooth replacements assessed by the patient and by prosthodontists

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess and compare patients' an d clinicians' judgments of the esthetic outcome of implant-supported single -tooth replacements. Materials and Methods: In all, 29 patients with 41 sin gle implant-supported crowns in the maxillary anterior region participated in the study. The esthetic outcome of the implant-supported crowns was asse ssed by the patients and by 5 prosthodontists by means of a questionnaire i n which various esthetics-related variables were addressed and responded to using visual analogue scales. Multiple regression analyses were used to ev aluate the influence of the variables on the "overall satisfaction" with th e implant-supported crown. Results: Most variables in the patients' assessm ents revealed mean values above 90% and median values close to 100%. No sin gle factor used in the multiple regression analysis was found to influence a patient's satisfaction with appearance of the crown at a statistically si gnificant level. The clinicians' degree of satisfaction was for all variabl es lower than that of the patients. In 89% of the cases the clinicians coul d correctly locale the single implant-supported crown. Among the variables assessed, surrounding soft tissue appearance and form of the crown had the strongest influence on the clinician's overall satisfaction with the appear ance of the crown. Conclusion: Appreciation of the esthetic outcome of the single implant-supported crowns was rated higher by the patients than by th e prosthodontists. Furthermore, factors considered by professionals to be o f significance for the esthetic result of the restorative treatment may not be of decisive importance for the patient's satisiaction.