Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) of posterior single-implant crowns using digital workflows: A randomized controlled trial with a three-year follow-up.

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The aim of this RCT was to analyze Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) of implant crowns processed in complete digital workflows (test) and combined analog-digital workflows (control) with a three-year follow-up. This is a second reporting from the same trial with sample size calculation based on time efficiency. Twenty participants were selected for single-tooth replacement with screw-retained crowns in posterior sites (Straumann TL Implant System). Ten patients each were treated with test or control workflows and evaluated after 1week of prosthetic delivery (baseline) and 3years. The subjective opinion of the patient was assessed using visual analog scales (VAS) for PROMs; the Functional Implant Prosthodontic Score (FIPS) for the objective evaluation of the dentist. Wilcoxonsigned-ranktests and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used for comparisons between test and control with a level of significance set at α=0.05. In test and control, implant crowns showed 100% survival without technical and/or biological complications. Mean PROMs varied between 81.6 and 90.3 with no difference between test and control, or between baseline and after 3years for intra-patient comparison. Linear regression analysis exhibited a significant correlation between FIPS and PROMs related to overall treatment satisfaction (VAS-1: coefficient 0.45; p=0.0472). Subjective patient's perception (PROMs) of posterior implant crowns processed in complete digital and combined analog-digital workflows revealed comparable high levels of satisfaction on the overall treatment outcome including function, esthetics, and cleanability after 3years. The objective evaluation of the dentist (FIPS) seems to reflect the perception of the patients.