title: Quality of life of patients with implant-retained maxillofacial prostheses: a prospective and retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Clinical studies on implant-retained maxillofacial prostheses have focused on biological outcomes. An assessment of the effect of prostheses on patients' quality of life (QOL) by using specific questionnaires developed for this patient population provides important information on treatment outcomes from the patients' perspectives.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to report patient-based outcomes of implant-retained maxillofacial prostheses and to evaluate the effect of implant-retained maxillofacial prostheses on QOL of participants in a prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-two participants were treated with implant-retained maxillofacial prostheses. Participants were divided into 2 groups: a retrospective group (participants treated and under care) and a prospective group (participants willing to be treated). The posttreatment patient satisfaction scores for each question were statistically analyzed by 2-way ANOVA with variables of defect type and retention type. The Student-Newman-Keuls test was used to determine any significant differences among the groups. In the prospective group, mean scores before and after prosthetic treatment were compared with the paired t test (α=.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The details of 54 retrospective and 28 prospective participants were reviewed. The posttreatment results of 82 patients showed that patient satisfaction with implant-retained maxillofacial prostheses was significantly different for cleaning the prostheses and recommending treatment to other people, depending on the defect and retention type. In the prospective group, participants reported significant increases in satisfaction for all questions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Implant-retained prostheses were considered highly satisfactory, indicating good QOL for patients with maxillofacial defects. A comparison of pretreatment and posttreatment assessments revealed that implant-retained maxillofacial prostheses increased patient QOL.
authors: Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Secil Karakoca
authors: SK
authors: Nemli
authors: Cemal
authors: C
authors: Aydin
authors: Handan
authors: H
authors: Yilmaz
authors: Bilge Turhan
authors: BT
authors: Bal
authors: Yeliz Kasko
authors: YK
authors: Arici
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004431:Ear, External; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose; D020273:Orbital Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000523:psychology*; D060489:Prosthesis Retention / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult