Patients' Expectations Before and Evaluation After Dental Implant Therapy

ABSTRACT Background: Patients' expectations may influence their satisfaction with implant treatment, but there is a paucity of reports comparing patient expectations and their posttreatment satisfaction. Purpose: The aim was to compare patients' expectations before with their satisfaction regarding function and esthetics after dental implant therapy. Materials and Methods: Fifty volunteers (49 years ± 11.45) answered a questionnaire about influencing variables and underwent an initial examination followed by implant therapy. Their expectations regarding esthetics and function were verified on a visual analogue scale (VAS) before treatment. The VAS was also used for posttreatment completion rating. Results: The average ratings for esthetic and functional expectations were 5.0 ± 2.6 and 5.0 ± 3.0; the posttreatment completion ratings were 9.1 ± 1.1 and 9.0 ± 1.7, respectively. The posttreatment completion ratings significantly exceeded expectations (p