Effects of attachment type and palatal coverage on oral perception and patient satisfaction in maxillary implant-supported complete denture patients

Aim: The effect of oral rehabilitation on the oral perception of implant-supported overdenture patients is a concern. This study evaluated the effects of the attachment type and palatal coverage on oral perception and patient satisfaction in maxillary implant-supported complete denture patients. Subjects and Methods: The correlation between oral perceptual ability (OPA) and patient satisfaction in three groups was investigated. Group I consisted of dentate individuals (n = 40), Group II consisted of maxillary implant-supported complete denture patients with bar attachments and palatal coverage (n = 12), and Group III of maxillary implant-supported complete denture patients with magnetic attachments and palatal coverage (n = 14). In addition, implant-supported maxillary overdentures with bar attachments, with (Group II; n = 12) and without (Group IV; n = 18) palatal coverage, were examined in terms of patient satisfaction and OPA. The relationship between OPA and patient satisfaction was assessed with the Turkish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-TR-14) satisfaction survey. To compare oral sensory function among the groups, tactile awareness and pressure awareness were assessed. Results: There was no significant difference in OHIP-TR-14 scores between Groups II and III. In addition, there was no correlation between oral tactile function and patient satisfaction in Groups II and III. For patients with maxillary bar-retained implant-supported overdentures, palatal coverage did not affect the correlation between OPA and patient satisfaction, lateral pressure threshold, or tactile thickness threshold. Conclusion: According to the results of the study, whether maxillary implant-supported overdentures were made with a bar- or magnetic-type retainer, and whether bar-retained implant-supported overdentures had an open or closed palate did not affect the correlation between patient satisfaction and oral perception.