Changes in oral health-related quality of life after three different strategies of implant therapy: a clinical trial

This research aims to evaluate changes in Oral Health-related Quality of Life (OHQoL) by means of the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) of patients treated with three distinct implant strategies. This clinical trial consisted of an oral examination and a questionnaire-based interview carried out before and after the definitive prosthetic rehabilitation in a consecutive sample of patients requiring dental implants. According to the clinical diagnosis and patient preference, patients were assigned to the one of the following groups: the conventional group (CGCL; n = 40), where implants were inserted without guiding and conventionally loaded; to the guided surgery but conventional loading group (GSCL; n = 35); or to the guided surgery and immediate loading group (GSIL; n = 29). At baseline, the OHQoL was significantly greater among those assigned to CGCL (2.4 ± 1.3) than those assigned to GSCL (3.3 ± 1.3), which were both greater than those patients assigned to GSIL (4.6 ± 2.0). After implant therapy, the oral well-being was significantly better than at baseline, and patient satisfaction was greater when the implants were loaded immediately (8.7 ± 1.1) than if the prosthetic rehabilitation was delayed (8.3 ± 1.1). In the GSIL group, the effect size of the OIDP exceeded the threshold value of 0.8 for all of the OIDP domains and for the total OIDP score and patient satisfaction. A global improvement in the OHQoL scores and patient satisfaction was observed after implant therapy, but the change was markedly greater in the GSIL group.