title: Clinical evaluation of satisfaction in patients rehabilitated with an immediately loaded implant-supported prosthesis: a controlled prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this controlled prospective study was to compare the satisfaction of patients rehabilitated with an immediately loaded implant-supported prosthesis and patients rehabilitated with a conventional denture in the mandible.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selected mandibular partially or totally edentulous patients were included in this prospective study. Patients' mandibles were completely rehabilitated with immediately loaded implants supporting a screw-retained full-arch prosthesis (test group) or with a conventional denture (control group). The Satisfaction Profile (SAT-P), which investigates a number of psychologic aspects related to the function and esthetics of the stomatognathic apparatus, was administered to each patient 1 month before and 3 months after provisional prosthetic rehabilitation. The questionnaire comprised four different SAT-P items: quality of eating, eating behavior, mood, and self-confidence. A visual analog scale was used to elicit patient responses. SAT-P item scores were analyzed statistically by means of the Student t test and the chi-square test (or the Mann-Whitney nonparametric test), with P < .05 considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one patients were consecutively treated with 205 immediately loaded implants supporting a screw-retained full-arch prosthesis (test group); 38 patients were consecutively treated with a conventional denture (control group). Statistically significant differences were observed between the test and control groups for all four SAT-P items. The test group reported greater satisfaction for all items versus the control group. In both groups, the differences between pre- and postrehabilitation values were statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each patient was satisfied with their treatment outcomes, but patients who received an implant-supported prosthesis were more satisfied than the patients who received a conventional denture. The results suggest that a screw-retained full-arch prosthesis on immediately loaded implants is a predictable means of enhancing patient satisfaction.
authors: Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic, University of Verona, Italy. rscala@hotmail.it
authors: Rudy
authors: R
authors: Scala
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Cucchi
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Ghensi
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Vartolo
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019094:Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported / Q000523:psychology*; D003779:Denture Design; D003781:Denture Retention / Q000523:psychology; D003826:Denture, Complete, Lower / Q000523:psychology; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D057893:Immediate Dental Implant Loading / Q000523:psychology*; D007575:Jaw, Edentulous / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome