Comparative evaluation of masticatory efficiency in single vs 2- implant overdentures vs conventional dentures

Background: The masticatory efficiency is an essential factor of success in functional rehabilitation of completely edentulous patients. Traditional full dentures are not stable enough especially in the mandibular arch. Single-implant and two-implant designs of overdentures supported by implants have been suggested to improve the work of prosthetics. Aim: To relatively assess the masticatory efficiency of traditional complete dentures, single-implant mandibular overdentures and two-implant mandibular overdentures in edentulous patients. Materials and Methods: The study was a prospective, randomized clinical trial conducted with 75 fully edentulous patients, aged 45 to 75 years. The subjects were selected randomly into three groups, namely Group I (conventional dentures, n=25), Group II (single-implant overdentures, n=25), and Group III (two-implant overdentures, n=25). All groups were exposed to standardized protocols of the prosthetics. Masticatory efficiency was measured three months after insertion with an objective comminution test. Peak bite force and patient satisfaction with chewing were noted as well. One-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests were used to analyze data with the level of significance of p<0.05. Results: It was found that the masticatory efficiency of the three groups was statistically different (p<0.001). The conclusion was that the masticatory efficiency and bite force were the highest in two-implant overdentures and the lowest in conventional dentures. Conclusion: Implant-overdentures have a strong benefit over traditional dentures in terms of masticatory performance, where two-implant overdentures have better functional outcomes