Abstract
BACKGROUND: Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) is a comprehensive concept covering daily comfort, self-esteem, and satisfaction with oral health, including functional, psychological, and social aspects, as well as pain experiences. Despite abundant research on OHRQoL related to oral diseases and hygiene, there is limited data on how patients perceive changes after implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. This study aimed to evaluate OHRQoL and aesthetic perception using OHIP-14 and VAS scales respectively, before (baseline-TB), during (provisional prostheses-TP), and after (definitive prostheses-TD) implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. It also explored the impact of biological sex, substitution numbers, and aesthetic interventions on OHRQoL and VAS scores, along with changes in OHIP-14 domains. METHODS: A longitudinal prospective single-center observational cohort study was conducted with patients requiring implant-prosthetic rehabilitation. Quality of life relating to dental implants was assessed through the Italian version of Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (IOHIP-14), which has a summary score from 14 to 70. Patients' perceived aesthetic was analyzed through a VAS scale from 0 to 100. Generalized Linear Mixed Effect Models, Linear Mixed Effect Models, and Friedman test analyzed patient responses. RESULTS: 99 patients (35 males, 64 females) aged 61-74, receiving various prosthetic interventions, were enrolled. Both provisional and definitive prosthetic interventions significantly decreased the odds of a worse quality of life compared to baseline, with odds ratios of 0.04 and 0.01 respectively. VAS scores increased significantly after both interventions, with estimated increases of 30.44 and 51.97 points respectively. Patient-level variability was notable, with an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 0.43. While biological sex, substitution numbers, and aesthetic interventions didn't significantly affect VAS scores, OHRQoL domains showed significant changes post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the effectiveness of implant-prosthetic interventions in improving the quality of life and perceived aesthetics of patients undergoing oral rehabilitation. They have important implications for clinical practice, highlighting the importance of individualized treatment approaches to optimize patient outcomes and satisfaction in oral health care.