Patient Satisfaction, Oral Health-related Quality of Life, and Masticatory Efficiency of Bar-retained Implant-supported Mandibular Overdentures with Reduced Denture Base Extensions.

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to compare the design of reduced extended denture bases (RIOD) with that of fully extended denture bases for implant overdentures (FIODs).

Materials and methods: A within-subject study design was carried out, involving 20 completely edentulous participants aged from 50 to 70 years who received newly constructed complete dentures. Four parallel implants were installed in the interforaminal region according to a guided surgical and delayed loading protocol. Each participant was provided with an implant overdenture (IOD) retained by a bar attachment and two different overdenture designs: Firstly, an FIOD, then an RIOD. Each participant wore each type of overdenture for a period of 3 months prior to evaluation. The following outcome measures were evaluated: Patient satisfaction, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), and chewing efficiency. Comparison of outcome scores between the two occasions was done using paired sample t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, with significance set at p < 0.05.

Results: The RIOD design exhibited significantly higher scores in certain domains of patient satisfaction, such as comfort, function, and overall satisfaction compared to the FIOD design. However, the OHRQoL scores were significantly lower (a higher quality of life) for the RIOD design in all domains, including functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability, and handicap. Additionally, the RIOD design exhibited significantly higher chewing efficiency compared to the FIOD design (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The RIOD design may be a more favorable option in cases where mandibular implant-supported overdentures are indicated, providing a better balance of comfort and function compared to FIOD.

Clinical significance: Clinicians should carefully consider the advantages of reduced extensions when designing mandibular implant-supported overdentures, as this may be a more beneficial choice for patients in terms of improving their overall experience and functional performance. How to cite this article: Ibrahim AM, Alokda MM, Elgamal M. Patient Satisfaction, Oral Health-related Quality of Life, and Masticatory Efficiency of Bar-retained Implant-supported Mandibular Overdentures with Reduced Denture Base Extensions. J Contemp Dent Pract 2025;26(10):988-995.