The Influence of Momentary Retention Forces on Patient Satisfaction and Quality of Life of Two-Implant-Retained Mandibular Overdenture Wearers

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of momentary retention forces on patient satisfaction and quality of life of two-implant-retained mandibular overdenture wearers. Materials and Methods: Edentulous patients who had been rehabilitated with two-implant-supported mandibular overdentures with single attachments and maxillary complete dentures at a university clinic were included in this study. The overdenture attachments were either ball or locator attachments. All the patients completed the Turkish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and the visual analog scale (VAS) satisfaction questionnaires. Momentary retention forces of the overdentures were measured using a custom-made dynamic testing machine. Results: Fifty-five patients were included in this study. No statistically significant association was detected between momentary retention forces and VAS scores (P > .05), but higher retention forces presented significantly better quality of life scores in the social disability and handicap domains of OHIP- 14 (P .05). Conclusion: Within the limitations of this clinical study, it may be presumed that although higher instant retention force of an implant-retained overdenture provides better quality of life, it does not affect patient satisfaction. Keywords: interforaminal implants, mandibular overdenture, momentary retention forces, patient satisfaction, quality of life