Objectives: Dental phobia is a psychological disease and a possible contraindication for implant therapy. The study aimed to show that implant therapy in dental-phobic patients (DP, test group) after adequate psychological and dental pretreatment (PDPT) is successfully possible and results in a similar implant prognosis as in nonfearful patients (NF, control group).
Method and materials: 15 DP with PDPT and 15 NF were treated with dental implants and were re-evaluated 2 to 4 years after denture-mounting regarding: alteration of dental anxiety (Hierarchical Anxiety Questionnaire [HAQ], Visual Analog Scale [VAS]), patient satisfaction and compliance, implant success, and peri-implant health. Statistical tests of non-inferiority DP versus NF were performed with Hodges-Lehmann estimators and respective one-sided 97.5% confidence intervals of Moses, and pairwise testings with Mann-Whitney test.
Results: The DP test group rated its anxiety significantly lower at follow- up than at baseline (PHAQ < .001). However, at follow-up, anxiety was still higher in DP than in NF (PHAQ = .046; PVAS < .001). Implant success at follow-up was 100%. Oral health was equally good in DP and NF patients. At follow-up, all patients were satisfied with implant therapy, but compliance was better for NF (100%) than for DP (73% dental checkup; 67% dental hygienist).
Conclusion: Implant therapy can be successfully performed in DP patients with PDPT as phobia is not negatively influenced by the invasive implant therapy. However, motivation for professional maintenance programs remains challenging.