Factors Associated With Patient‐Reported Outcomes More Than 5 Years After Dental Implant Therapy: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Simone Sbalchiero, Grégoire Habay, Pierre‐Yves Gegout, Olivier HuckABSTRACT
Objectives
To evaluate patient‐reported outcome (PROs) and their associated factors in patients treated with dental implants more than 5 years earlier.
Materials and Methods
In this cross‐sectional study, patients with implants (> 5 years) completed a self‐administered questionnaire assessing functional, aesthetic, psychosocial and economic satisfaction. The 17 satisfaction items were condensed by exploratory factor analysis, and a Global Satisfaction Score was derived. Univariable and multivariable linear regression with robust standard errors identified factors associated with satisfaction, complemented by sensitivity and subgroup analyses.
Results
A total of 260 patients were included (61.2% female; 91.5% aged > 50 years). Overall satisfaction was high, with 93.1% of patients satisfied or very satisfied. Factor analysis yielded four dimensions (overall satisfaction, psychosocial function, aesthetics, information). In the multivariable model, higher pre‐treatment information ( β = +6.4, p < 0.001) and the absence of patient‐reported peri‐implant inflammation ( β = −8.2, p < 0.001) were the only factors independently associated with overall satisfaction. Both remained robust across sensitivity analyses. Demographic variables, cost and extent of rehabilitation were not associated with satisfaction. A history of periodontitis was associated with higher aesthetic satisfaction ( p = 0.030).
Conclusions
Patient satisfaction more than 5 years after implant therapy was high and most strongly associated with patient‐reported pre‐treatment information and the absence of reported complications than with demographic factors. These findings should be interpreted cautiously as the cross‐sectional design and retrospective self‐reporting preclude causal inference.