Comparing the swallowing dynamics of mandibular implant overdentures retained with different attachment systems: A crossover study

Objective This study's objective was to compare the swallowing dynamics for mandibular implant-retained overdentures with different attachment systems Materials and methods for this crossover study, 15 healthy patients were chosen from the outpatient clinic, Department of Removable Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry. The patients already had 2 implants in the canine regions. New mandibular implant-retained overdentures with three different attachment systems (locator, ball, and bar) were constructed. Swallowing evaluation was done after 3 months of each implant overdenture insertion. Swallowing dynamics were evaluated by using the Test of Mastication and Swallowing Solids (TOMASS) and the Timed Water Swallow Test (TWST). ANOVA with Bonferroni test was used to analyze the data to determine how the swallowing dynamic varied. Results There was a significant decrease in the number of masticatory cycles and the total time of swallowing of biscuits for implant overdenture retained by locator attachment compared to both ball attachment and bar attachment (p0.05). For water intake, a comparison of the number of swallows and the total time of swallowing showed no significant difference between implant overdenture with different attachment systems (p>0.05). Conclusions Compared to the ball and bar attachments, the locator attachment system demonstrated better clinical outcomes about some performances in mastication and swallowing for solid food, however, the type of attachment did not affect the swallowing of water.