Patient Perception and Satisfaction with Implant Therapy in a Predoctoral Implant Education Program: A Preliminary Study

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the level of satisfaction and quality of life for patients receiving mandibular implant-supported overdenture (IOD) or single-tooth implant (STI) therapy in a predoctoral dental implant program. Materials and Methods: Patients who received IOD and STI therapy and presented for recall visits at University of Illinois-Chicago College of Dentistry Predoctoral Implant Program were recruited. IOD treatment included placement of two endosseous implants in the mandibular canine region, followed by two abutments for resilient attachments. STI treatment included placement of endosseous implants, abutments, and cement-retained crowns. A modified Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 questionnaire was given at least 6 months following insertion of implant-supported prostheses for both groups. Patient age, gender, distribution of STI, and OHIP-14 data were gathered and analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to assess post-treatment data; Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze the differences between groups older and younger than mean age and gender among the IOD and STI groups. Results: Fifty-one consecutive patients in the IOD (60.7% male, 39.2% female, mean age 63.7) and 50 consecutive patients in the STI group (58.0% female, 42.0% male, mean age 50.8) were included in this recall study. In the STI group, 69 implants were placed for 50 patients; the most common region was the maxillary posterior quadrant (49.3%). Scores from modified OHIP-14 ranged from 0.14 to 0.78 for the IOD group and 0.02 to 0.18 for the STI group. Both IOD and STI data showed satisfaction with the treatment outcome. There was a significant difference found between men and women among the IOD group pertaining to questions regarding pronouncing words, sense of taste, meal interruption, and feeling embarrassed from OHIP-14, but not between the age groups. Also, no significant differences were noted for gender or age group within the STI patients and OHIP-14 scores. Conclusion: Dental implant therapy provided in a predoctoral setting had a significant impact on the quality of life and a high level of satisfaction for patients seeking implant treatment.