Abstract
Background/Objectives: The integration of quality of life (QoL) assessments into dental health evaluations acknowledges the profound impact of oral health on overall well-being. This study aims to compare the impact of implant-supported complete dentures versus conventional complete dentures on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in elderly Romanian edentulous patients. Methods: This longitudinal study involved 93 initially recruited edentulous patients, with 52 completing the study over an 18-month period. Data collection utilized the OHIP-5 questionnaire, assessing the OHRQoL at baseline with conventional dentures and three months post-implant-supported denture placement. Ethical approval was secured from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy University of Oradea, adhering to the Helsinki Declaration principles. A statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25 and included non-parametric tests for score comparisons and Fisher's exact test for categorical data. Results: The comparative analysis of the questionnaire responses revealed significant improvements in all five OHRQoL dimensions post-treatment with implant-supported dentures. For instance, the proportion of patients reporting "never" experiencing difficulty chewing any foods increased from 1.9% at baseline to 57.7% post-treatment. Similarly, those reporting "never" experiencing painful aching rose from 3.8% to 76.9%. There was also a notable reduction in discomfort regarding the appearance of mouth, dentures, or jaws from 3.8% reporting "never" at baseline to 75% post-treatment. The improvements in sense of taste and difficulty in performing usual activities saw comparable increases. Conclusions: The findings support the hypothesis that implant-supported complete dentures significantly enhance OHRQoL among elderly edentulous patients compared to conventional dentures, with improvements noted in mastication ability, pain reduction, aesthetics, taste perception, and activity performance. These results underscore the value of prosthetic interventions in dental care to substantially improve patients' OHRQoL.