Prilagodba na nove proteze i pet godina kliničke uporabe: praćenje kvalitete života ovisne o oralnome zdravlju i orofacijalne estetike kod pacijenata s potpunim ili pokrovnim protezama na miniimplantatima

It is unclear how long patients need to adapt to new dentures. This study assessed adaptation and five years of clinical use, comparing complete denture wearers (CDs) and mini- im plant mandibular overdenture wearers opposing a maxillary CD ( MDI-OD), based on oral health re ported quality of life (OHRQoL) and orofacial esthetics (OES). Material and Methods: A total of 36 subjects in the CD group (25 females) and 30 subjects in the MDI group (20 females) completed the 5-year study. All patients received new CDs, but in the MDI-OD group, four mini-implants were in serted interforaminally in the mandible before denture manufacture. Participants filled in the OHIP EDENT and OES questionnaires one day after dentures’ delivery, on the 3rd, 8th, 15th, 30th day, and at the 1-, 3- and 5-year follow-up examinations. Statistical analysis comprised descriptive methods, X2 test, independent t-test, Friedman, and Mann-Whitney test. Results and Conclusions: Both groups’ adaptation to new dentures was completed within a month. The MDI-OD group had significantly bet ter OHRQoL in all follow-ups except for the 3rd and 8th day, probably due to soreness and pain, the reason why the MDI-OD group had limitation in functioning in the first days after new dentures’ de livery. Already after the third year and at the fifth year, OHRQoL worsened (p