Prosthetic complications and quality of life among wearers of mandibular overdenture with the Facility-Equator system

Abstract

This longitudinal study aimed to assess the performance of the Facility-Equator system as mandibular overdenture (MO) retainers from a prosthetic perspective during 2 years of loading and to investigate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and whether prosthetic events can affect the OHRQoL. Twenty-four patients (68.1 ± 7.51 years) reported their OHRQoL through the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-EDENT) questionnaires before MO loading and after 1 and 2 years of usage. Prosthetic occurrences were recorded during this period. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon test, Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman correlation coefficients. Of the 127 prosthetic events that occurred in the first year, the most frequent events were prosthesis adjustments (16.5%), dislodgement of the Equator attachment (14.17%), and O-ring replacement (11.8%). Eighty-seven prosthetic events were recorded in the second year, the most frequent events being prosthesis adjustments (27.6%), O-ring replacement (20.7%), and recapturing the female matrix (11.5%). All domains of the GOHAI and OHIP-EDENT questionnaires exhibited a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the baseline and 1-and 2-year evaluations, except in the Social Disability and Psychological Discomfort domains (p > 0.05) of OHIP-EDENT after 1 year. Complications related to prosthetic maintenance, such as fracturing of the prosthesis, Equator dislodgement, prosthesis rebasing, and new overdenture confection, affect the OHRQoL (p < 0.05), primarily the Physical Pain and Discomfort domains, especially in the first year of MO loading.