Impact of implant superstructure type on oral health-related quality of life in edentulous patients.

Abstract

The effect of the type of implant superstructure on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among edentulous patients remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between the type of implant superstructure and OHRQoL. Seventy-two completely edentulous patients who received implant fixed complete dentures (IFCDs) or implant overdentures (IODs) were administered the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) questionnaire during the post-treatment maintenance period. The OHIP summary score, as well as the four dimension scores, were calculated to evaluate OHRQoL. The mean OHIP summary score for the IFCD group tended to be lower than that for the IOD group, but this difference was not statistically significant (19.9 ± 21.9, 22.8 ± 18.2, respectively; P = .57). However, a significant group difference was found in the four dimension scores (P < .01), with the OHIP item scores representing masticatory function being significantly lower in the IFCD group than in the IOD group (P < .05). Our results suggested that patients with an IOD exhibited comparable OHRQoL to those with an IFCD, with the exception of perceived masticatory function.