title: Five-year follow-up of oral functioning and quality of life in patients with oral cancer with implant-retained mandibular overdentures.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Maxillofacial Prosthetics, University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. a.korfage@kchir.umcg.nl
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korfage
authors.forename: Pieter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Schoen
authors.forename: Gerry M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Raghoebar
authors.forename: Jelte
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bouma
authors.forename: Fred R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Burlage
authors.forename: Jan L N
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Roodenburg
authors.forename: Arjan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vissink
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Reintsema
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; D003828:Denture, Overlay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009426:Netherlands; D009909:Oral Health; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D018570:Risk Assessment; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013515:Surgery, Oral / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors