Patient-reported outcomes of maxillary palateless monolithic CAD/CAM implant-supported overdentures: A retrospective pilot study

Palateless monolithic CAD/CAM implant-supported overdentures are increasingly used in clinical practice; however, limited clinical data are available regarding patient-reported outcomes associated with this prosthetic design. The purpose of this retrospective pilot study was to evaluate patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction with palateless monolithic CAD/CAM implant-supported overdentures. A questionnaire-based observational study was conducted involving 24 participants rehabilitated with 37 palateless monolithic CAD/CAM implant-supported overdentures retained by LOCATOR attachments. Data were collected through structured telephone interviews using a modified 20-item Visual Analog Scale (VAS) questionnaire, in which each item was scored on a 0–10 scale (total possible score range: 0–200), assessing patient satisfaction related to retention, stability, mastication, comfort, speech, esthetics, psychosocial well-being, and overall acceptance. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and subgroup analyses were performed based on arch configuration, sex, and prior prosthetic experience. The mean follow-up period was 3.1 ± 1.5 years. The overall mean VAS score was 182 ± 18.2, indicating high patient satisfaction. Participants rehabilitated with implant-supported overdentures in both arches reported significantly higher satisfaction than those with a single overdenture opposing natural dentition or fixed prostheses (P = 0.024). Male participants reported significantly higher satisfaction scores than female participants (P = 0.012). No significant difference in satisfaction was observed between participants with or without a history of conventional metal-reinforced overdentures (P > 0.05). Within the limitations of this retrospective pilot study, palateless monolithic CAD/CAM implant-supported overdentures were associated with high patient-reported satisfaction. These findings suggest that this prosthetic design represents a well-accepted treatment option from the patient perspective. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these results.