Purpose: Today patients are living longer and demanding more stable prostheses to replace lost teeth. The restoration of the mandibular dentition with metal-acrylic resin implant-supported fixed complete prostheses via an immediate loading protocol allows patients to have an immediate definitive restorative solution. However, little is known about the patient experience and satisfaction with this protocol. The aim of this study was to determine patient experiences and satisfaction with metal-acrylic resin implant-fixed complete prosthesis fabricated according to the Ohio State University protocol.
Materials and methods: The records of patients who had received full-arch implant-supported restorations in a 7-year period were examined; patients who met the inclusion criteria were sent a questionnaire. Patients were given an opportunity to rate their postoperative experience using a visual analog scale and to agree or disagree with regard to their overall satisfaction with the surgical and prosthetic treatment.
Results: The records of 82 patients were initially examined; 61 patients were retained after the inclusion criteria were applied. The questionnaire was sent to the 61 patients, and 24 returned their surveys. Data from the written questionnaires revealed that patient postoperative experiences were not considered severe and that the patients were generally very pleased with treatment and the outcome.
Conclusions: The results of this questionnaire-driven study suggest that delivering the definitive fixed metal-acrylic resin prosthesis immediately after implant placement is a successful and patient-approved treatment approach for mandibular edentulism.