Five-year follow-up of oral functioning and quality of life in patients with oral cancer with implant-retained mandibular overdentures

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) and oral functioning of patients with oral cancer up to 5 years after prosthodontic rehabilitation with mandibular implant-retained overdentures. METHODS: Fifty patients who had received implants during ablative surgery were evaluated by standardized questionnaires before and after oncological and prosthetic treatment. RESULTS: In 20 of 24 surviving patients, the dentures were functional after 5 years. In these survivors, oral function remained unchanged during this period. In the 6 patients with concurrent comorbidity, global health and QOL had deteriorated, while in the patients without comorbidity, global health and QOL were very high. Five-year survivors had a higher global health and better oral functioning at the 1-year evaluation than nonsurvivors. CONCLUSION: Oral function and denture satisfaction were high and did not change over time for survivors. Deterioration in overall global health and QOL was associated with concurrent comorbidity. Head Neck, 2011