Digital versus conventional complete dentures: A randomized controlled pilot study of short-term patient satisfaction and quality of life within a mobile dental service setting.

Abstract

Conventional complete denture (CD) fabrication requires multiple appointments, posing barriers for remote elderly patients.This study compared oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and patient satisfaction between digitally fabricated dentures (DD) and conventional methods within the Royal Mobile Dental Services in Thailand. In this prospective randomized trial, 30 edentulous participants (aged 50-80 years) were allocated to CD ( n = 15) or DD ( n = 15) groups; 25 participants (CD: n = 15, DD: n = 10) completed the 1.5-month evaluation. The CD protocol used a four-visit, heat-polymerized workflow. The DD protocol used a three-visit workflow with mucostatic intraoral scanning and three-dimensional (3D) printing dentures. Participants and outcome assessors were blinded. Outcomes were assessed after the first meal, at 24 h, and at 1.5 months using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for satisfaction and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 for OHRQoL. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U -tests. Overall VAS satisfaction showed no significant intergroup differences ( P > 0.05). At 24 h, the DD group reported significantly higher negative impacts ( P < 0.05) on phonetics, taste perception, and food avoidance. By 1.5 months, most OHRQoL dimensions in the DD group normalized to match the CD group, but phonetic difficulties remained significantly higher ( P < 0.05). 3D-printed dentures offer satisfaction comparable to conventional methods while reducing clinical visits. Early functional limitations resolve rapidly, but persistent phonetic issues suggest that standardized computer-aided design protocols may benefit from patient-specific customization to optimize speech outcomes in mobile dental settings.