Comparison of patient-reported outcomes between immediately and conventionally loaded mandibular two-implant overdentures : early results from a randomized clinical pilot study

Objectives/aim: To compare patient-reported outcomes between patients rehabilitated with different prosthetic treatments for the edentulous maxilla. Materials and methods: Patients with an edentulous maxilla were rehabilitated with either of three implant-supported prosthetic protocols, removable over denture supported by two implants (ISOD-2), fixed dental prostheses supported by 4 (ISFAFDP-4) or 6 (ISFAFDP-6) implants. Implant and prosthesis survival, complication rates and patient-reported outcomes were registered. Three different instruments for patient-reported outcomes were used: Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), Jaw Functional Limitation Scale (JFLS), and Orofacial Esthetic Scale (OES).Results: Twenty-four patients were included: six patients received ISOD-2 treatment, eight patients received ISFADP-4 treatment and ten patients received ISFADP-6 treatment. There were no differences between groups regarding function and esthetics after treatment except for one minor difference where ISFAFDP-4 patients reported significantly higher improvement (p= 0.015) for one OHIP domain (Oro-facial appearance) compared to ISFAFDP-6 patients.Conclusions: Edentulous patients experience equal positive treatment outcomes with implantsupported restorations in a short-term perspective, regardless of whether the superstructure is fixed or removable