Five-year follow-up of oral functioning and quality of life in patients with oral cancer with implant-retained mandibular overdentures.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) and oral functioning of patients with oral cancer up to 5 years after prosthodontic rehabilitation with mandibular implant-retained overdentures. METHODS Fifty patients who had received implants during ablative surgery were evaluated by standardized questionnaires before and after oncological and prosthetic treatment. RESULTS In 20 of 24 surviving patients, the dentures were functional after 5 years. In these survivors, oral function remained unchanged during this period. In the 6 patients with concurrent comorbidity, global health and QOL had deteriorated, while in the patients without comorbidity, global health and QOL were very high. Five-year survivors had a higher global health and better oral functioning at the 1-year evaluation than nonsurvivors. CONCLUSION Oral function and denture satisfaction were high and did not change over time for survivors. Deterioration in overall global health and QOL was associated with concurrent comorbidity.