Impact of Posterior Single Tooth Loss on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Single-Unit Immediate Implant Loading: Six-Month Follow-up Study

The current study sought to assess the impact on quality of life in individuals with a single posterior tooth loss, as well as its improvement after a single-unit immediate implant loading in a 6-month follow-up. Forty patients with a single posterior tooth loss were evaluated for oral health-related quality of life using the OHIP-14 before and six months after rehabilitation, as well as anxiety and depression symptoms using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The Two-Way ANOVA was used to compare OHIP-14 scores at the tooth loss site and after rehabilitation. Descriptive statistics were computed for the HADS and OHIP-14 domains. Thirty-three patients that remained in the sample presented significantly reduced OHIP-14 scores after 6 months of rehabilitation, regardless the tooth loss site. Physical pain, psychological discomfort, psychological disability, and physical disability were the four most affected OHIP-14 domains and presented improvement after the rehabilitation. The individuals presented HADS scores for anxiety and depressive symptoms majorly within the normal range. Posterior single tooth loss has a detrimental impact on oral health-related quality of life. Either function or psychological domains appear to be impacted. The patients' rehabilitation was found to have a significant impact on quality-of-life improvement.