Evaluation of the effect of implant-supported fixed prostheses on patients’ quality of life and anxiety disorders

The study was aimed to assess anxiety levels and oral health-related quality of life in patients with indications for implant-supported fixed prostheses using pre- and post-treatment questionnaires and to show the impact of oral health on quality of life. In addition, this study tested the null hypothesis that implant-supported fixed prosthodontic treatment does not lead to significant changes in anxiety levels or oral health-related quality of life. This prospective study was conducted to evaluate changes in anxiety levels and oral health-related quality of life in patients who applied to the Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, before and after receiving implant-supported fixed prosthodontic treatment. Dental anxiety and oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) were assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), Modified Dental Anxiety Scale (MDAS), and State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S/T). Participants were selected from patients over 18 years old, without intellectual disabilities, who had at least one missing posterior tooth, and were ready for intraoral prosthetic treatment. A total of 60 patients with implant-supported fixed prosthodontic indications who agreed to participate completed the questionnaires. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS V23 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY). The Shapiro-Wilk test assessed the data’s normality by gender and age groups. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used for pre- and post-treatment comparisons. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. For each primary outcome, mean differences were calculated together with their 95% confidence intervals to enhance the clinical interpretability of the findings. The STAI-S score decreased from 32.58 pre-treatment to 28.98 post-treatment (mean difference − 3.60; 95% CI: −5.10 to − 2.12). The STAI-T score lowered from 45.42 pre-treatment to 43.35 post-treatment (mean difference − 2.07; 95% CI: −3.85 to − 0.92), and the MDAS score declined from 10.02 pre-treatment to 8.42 afterward (mean difference − 1.60; 95% CI: −2.35 to − 0.84). OHIP-14 scores were 25.3 pre-treatment and 21.35 post-treatment (mean difference − 3.95; 95% CI: −5.48 to − 2.41). Statistical analyses showed no significant association between age groups and changes in anxiety or oral health-related quality of life (p > 0.05), supporting the statement that age did not influence treatment outcomes. After implant-supported fixed prosthetic treatment, patients’ anxiety levels decreased, and their quality of life improved. Women exhibited higher dental anxiety levels than men. Age did not appear to influence anxiety levels or quality of life. Implant-supported fixed prosthodontic treatment not only restores oral function and esthetics but also helps reduce patient anxiety and enhances oral health-related quality of life. These findings emphasize the importance of considering patients’ psychological well-being when planning treatment. Understanding gender-related differences in dental anxiety allows clinicians to provide more personalized care, while the absence of age-related effects indicates that these benefits are applicable across a broad adult population.