Patient satisfaction with implant-retained mandibular overdentures. A comparison with new complete dentures not retained by implants--a multicentre randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to establish the treatment outcome of full denture treatment with or without implant support, in which the outcome assessment focuses on the patient's subjective evaluation ('denture-satisfaction').

DESIGN

A multicenter randomized clinical trial.

SUBJECTS

Thirty-two men and 118 women (mean age 56 +/- 9, range 35-84 years) participated in the study. The mean height of the mandible was 13 +/- 2 mm, measured on a lateral cephalometric radiograph. The patients were randomly assigned to either a group treated with implant-retained mandibular overdentures and a new maxillary denture, or to a control group treated with a new set of complete dentures.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Denture satisfaction was assessed using questionnaires focusing on denture-related complaints and 'a general satisfaction rate'.

RESULTS

Based on the baseline data, from the 'denture complaints' questionnaire six interpretable factors could be extracted. One factor did not vary following treatment and was excluded from the outcome analysis. At the 1-year evaluation three out of five factors showed significantly better scores for the group treated with implants than for the control-group. The same was found for the general satisfaction rate.

CONCLUSION

For patients with a severely resorbed mandible, overdentures retained by dental implants appear to provide a more satisfactory solution to their denture-related problems.