Satisfaction of patients fitted with implant-retained overdentures

Objective: to evaluate patient satisfaction with implant-retained overdentures, and its relationship with age, sex, period of follow-up, the rehabilitated jaw (maxilla, mandible or both), number of implants, splinting, type of attachment and the antagonist. Material and methods: the study comprised patients with overdentures fitted between January 1996 and June 2007, and with a minimum follow-up of one year. Data regarding patients and prostheses were collected. The patients indicated their overall satisfaction on a visual analogue scale (VAS) from 0 to 10, as well as satisfaction for individual items such as aesthetics, speech, mastication, prosthetic stability and self-esteem. These data were collected one month after fitting the prostheses, at 12 months and at a final examination. Statistical analyses were made using the SPSS version 15, statistical significance was considered for p<0.05. Results: the study included 95 patients, 43 men and 52 women, with a mean age of 55.9 years; 76 edentulous mandibles and 31 edentulous maxillae were rehabilitated with 107 overdentures. One hundred and thirty-seven implants were placed in the maxilla, and 224 in the mandible. The mean level of overall satisfaction was 9 at one month of fitting the prosthesis, 8.8 at 12 months and 8.7 at the final control (mean 71 months). Conclusions: the patients fitted with implant-retained overdentures expressed a high level of overall satisfaction, independently of age, sex, length of follow-up, rehabilitated jaw, number of implants per overdenture, whether splinted or non-splinted, and type of attachment. Men were more satisfied with mastication and stability.