Model development of mandibular two-implant retained overdentures plus nutritional empowerment in elderly with dentures (NEED)

It is still unclear whether mandibular two implant-retained overdentures improve the nutritional status of elderly edentulous persons better than conventional dentures. In Thailand, according to age pyramid of 2007, older people above 65 years in men and women are about 4.0 million and 4.4 million respectively. The senior edentulous citizens waiting for dental implants are 107, 366 in Thailand, whereas 2155 in Bangkok and 1038 in Pathumthani province. In this randomized clinical trial, Population was Thai males and females, aged over 65 years and edentulous for at least 1 year, living in Pathumthani Province, Thailand. Intervention was Mandibular two implant-retained Overdentures (IOD) plus NEED (Nutritional Empowerment in Edentulous people with Dentures). Comparison was among IODNEED, IOD only; Conventional dentures (CD) plus NEED and CD only. Outcome: Post-treatment differences in satisfaction, oral heath related quality of life and nutritional status among the groups. The research results found that all general characteristics and pretest mean scores of most of the measured variables were not statistically significant difference among the four groups (p-value >.05). Comparison between pretest and post 1 month intervention within group (paired t-test) found that there was highest mean scores difference in IODNEED group than other three groups and mean scores for oral health related quality of life (OHIP), masticatory function (QMF), satisfaction for maxilla and mandibular (VSAMX, VASMD), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), and Body Mass Index (BMI), were statistically significance higher than pretest (p-value <.001). As for comparison among groups after post 1 month assessment, IODNEED group had the best immediate outcomes mean scores in all variables measured and also significant higher mean scores in OHIP, QMF, VASMX and VASMD except MNA and BMI than CDNEED group and CD group (p-value <.05). This revealed that combined effect of surgery and nutritional empowerment have good achievement in not only better masticatory function but also nutritional status. All of all, these results suggest that providing nutritional empowerment and lowcost local made titanium mandibular two implant-retained prosthesis improves their satisfaction, dietary intake and nutritional state.