Evaluation of patient satisfaction and masticatory performance between complete dentures and single implant-supported overdentures with locator and ball attachments

Abstract

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of two different attachment systems on a single implant-retained mandibular overdenture on the oral health-related quality of life of completely edentulous individuals. Materials and Methods: Twelve completely edentulous, first-time denture wearer patients were selected for the study. A set of new conventional complete dentures was fabricated for each patient. Each patient received a single mandibular symphyseal implant which was conventionally loaded with a ball or locator attachment using the cross-over study design. The Oral Health Impact Profile-49 questionnaire and sieve method were used to assess the masticatory performances at various intervals. Results: The paired samples test was used to evaluate the correlation between conventional complete dentures and implant-supported overdentures (ISOD) and the attachments within each group. The independent paired samples test was used to evaluate the correlation between each of the attachments. The results of this study were in favor of the ball attachment at the end of the 2-month period. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this short-term cross-over trial, it may be concluded that single implant-supported mandibular overdentures and a connecting ball attachment are a viable treatment option for the edentulous population with problematic mandibular dentures.