Quality of life as a measure of the single-step dental implantation effectiveness
Authors: Njezhencev Ye. Yu. , Chertov S. O. 
Published: June 2024

Aim. The study aims to examine the quality-of-life dynamics in patients after single-step dental implantation depending on the technique of its implementation.
Materials and methods. The study included 51 patients who underwent single-step dental implantation. Depending on the dental implantation technique, the patients were divided into two groups: the study group consisted of 25 patients who underwent implant placement in the preliminary prepared bed with a post-extraction socket grafting using Sensobone xenograft, followed by a formation of soft-tissue cuff reinforced with a bone grafting material (Sensobone xenograft and free connective tissue autograft were placed on the soft tissue area) with subsequent fixation of a temporary crown. The comparison group included 26 patients who underwent implant placement in the preliminary prepared bed with a post-extraction socket grafting using Sensobone xenograft, followed by the Sensobone xenograft placement on the soft tissue area and a temporary crown fixation. To assess the quality of life (QOL), the patients were asked to fill out the OHIP-14 questionnaire before the implantation, three months and one year after the implantation. The study results were processed using the statistical licensed software package Statistica, version 13 (Copyright 1984-2018 TIBCO Software Inc. All rights reserved. License No. JPZ804I382130ARCN10-J).
Results. Problems with one or two teeth in patients requiring dental implantation led to limited QOL difficulties, reflected in the overall increase in the OHIP-14 total score. Patients in both groups had unsatisfactory QOL before implantation that was associated with a significant increase in almost all OHIP-14 items, which was significantly depended on the number of implants placed in a patient. In both groups, poor QOL was mainly due to psychosocial aspects, a physical factor, and a lower life satisfaction caused by dental problems. It has been found that a significant increase in the QOL level to a satisfactory state was seen as early as 3 months after the implantation in both groups. However, QOL was better in the study group than in the comparison group, as was evidenced by a 12 % significantly lower OHIP-14 total score. One year after implantation, the study group patients reported the OHIP-14 total score of 8.5 ± 0.8 indicating good QOL. In the comparison group, this index was 14.2 ± 0.8 showing satisfactory QOL. Normalization of QOL in the study group patients was due to the restoration of physical condition, pain relief, normalization of psychosocial state, and increased feeling of satisfaction with their life. Some patients in the comparison group reported continuing problems with physical and psychosocial disorders.
Conclusions. Single-step dental implantation is a significant factor influencing the improvement of QOL in patients. QOL is an important measure of the single-step dental implantation effectiveness. The use of a soft tissue cuff reinforced with bone grafting material allows achieving good QOL compared to the use of a bone grafting material matrix alone (due to a higher aesthetic result), since QOL remains satisfactory after the same time.