Patients very satisfied with implant supported dentures: How happy are patients with their implant-retained overdentures?

Design This was a randomised clinical trial (RCT).InterventionSubjects were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups. These used either ball-spring or bar-clip attachments for mandibular dentures, using an acrylic base, with or without a cast metal alloy framework. Study participants were asked to complete visual analogue scales (VAS) to self-report on satisfaction with their conventional complete dentures at baseline and with implant-supported dentures (ISP) at 1 month, 1 year and 2 years following placement. Outcome measure The number of adjustments and repairs to implant-supported dentures and associated costs were recorded over the period of the study. Median satisfaction scores were calculated for each of the seven components measured by the VAS.ResultsThe presence or absence of a cast metal framework had no impact on either denture maintenance or self-reported satisfaction so data were considered to relate to two treatment groups only, ie, the ball-spring or bar-clip attachment groups. Thirty-four subjects were followed for 3 years in each of the two groups. Median satisfaction with mandibular dentures rose from 13 (out of 100) at baseline for both groups to 93 for the bar-clip group and 94 for the ball-spring group 1 month after placement. VAS scores improved significantly for six out of seven components of “satisfaction” for the bar-clip group and for all seven of the seven components for the ball-spring group, after 1 month. Median overall satisfaction did not decline to any significant extent over 2 years. Significantly more repairs were required in the ball-spring group than the bar-clip group. Conclusions Subjects were equally and very satisfied with their impact-retained overdentures, whether bar-clip or ball-spring attachment. The latter design, however, required substantially more repairs. © 2006 EBD.