Thickness Discrimination Thresholds in Patients Wearing Single-Implant Mandibular Overdentures: 6-Year Follow-up

Purpose To verify whether single-implant-supported mandibular overdentures improve thickness discrimination. Materials and methods A selection of edentulous patients treated with single-implant-supported overdentures underwent interocclusal thickness discrimination tests using dedicated metal strips. Fifteen patients were included, and recordings were repeated five times: with complete dentures in place before placement of implants, the day of the prosthetic connection, and 1 month, 1 year, and 6 years after the connection. Results and conclusion Thickness discrimination improved at the 1-month recall recording, while after 1 year, it remained stable at low levels.