Single mandibular implant study - impact on dietary habits after 5 years of observation in patients with immediate and delayed loading protocols.

Objectives: Single midline implants in the edentulous mandible can be used to support existing complete dentures to improve patients' satisfaction and masticatory efficiency. The impact on patients' dietary habits and the influence of the loading protocol of the implants was the subject of this study.

Materials and methods: In this prospective randomized clinical trial, edentulous patients with existing complete dentures in both jaws were treated with a single midline implant in the mandible. In group A, the implants were loaded immediately, in group B the loading was delayed after three months. Patients were asked to report on their nutritional intake before implant placement and 12, 24 and 60 months after loading using a standardized two-part questionnaire.

Results: Nutritional intake regarding the frequency of consumption of the requested food items did not change significantly during the 60-months study period, regardless of the loading protocol. In contrast, the second part of the questionnaire revealed that after 60 months, there was a significant decrease in avoidance of food, that had a coarse and hard texture in both groups. This significant decrease was observable in the group A in the first 12 and 24 months and in the group B after 60 months.

Conclusion: A change in the patients' dietary habits due to the insertion of a single midline implant in the mandible to support the existing complete denture cannot be observed, independently to the loading protocol.

Clinical relevance: Improving the chewing efficiency by single midline implants in the edentulous mandible does not lead to a change in dietary habits.