A patient-based assessment of implant-stabilized and conventional completedentures

Statement of problem. Outcomes of oral implant therapy have been described primarily in terms of implant survival rates and the durability of implant superstructures. Reports of patient-based outcomes of implant therapy have been sparse, and none of these studies have used oral specific health statu s measures. Purpose. This study assessed the impact of implant-stabilized prostheses on the hearth status of complete denture wearers using patient-based, oral-sp ecific health status measures. It also assessed the influence of preoperati ve expectations on outcome. Material and methods. Three experimental groups requesting replacement of t heir conventional complete dentures completed an Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) and a validated denture satisfaction scale before treatment. One gr oup received an implant-stabilized prosthesis (IG), and 2 groups received n ew conventional complete dentures (CDG1 and CDG2). After treatment, all sub jects completed the health status measures again; preoperative data were co mpared with postoperative data. Results. Before treatment, satisfaction with complete dentures was low in a ll 3 groups. Subjects requesting implants (IG and CDG1) had high expectatio ns for implant-stabilized prostheses. Improvement in denture satisfaction a nd OHIP scores was reported by all 3 groups after treatment. Subjects who r eceived their preferred treatment (IG and CDG2 subjects) reported a much gr eater improvement than CDG1 subjects. Preoperative expectation levels did n ot appear to influence satisfaction with the outcomes of implant therapy in IG subjects. Conclusion. Subjects who received implants (IG) that replaced conventional complete dentures reported significant improvement after treatment, as did subjects who requested conventional replacement dentures (CDG2). The OHIP a ppears useful in identifying patients likely to benefit from implant-stabil ized prostheses.