Implant or Tooth?—A Prospective Clinical Study on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with “Unrestorable” Teeth

In cases of severely compromised teeth, dental practitioners are confronted with the therapeutic decision of whether to restore a tooth or replace it with an implant. Comparative scientific evidence on patient perception of both treatment approaches is scarce. The subject of this prospective clinical study was to compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) between two treatment groups: restoration of severely destroyed teeth after orthodontic extrusion (FOE) versus tooth extraction and implant-supported single crown restoration (ISC). A self-selected trial was performed with 21 patients per group. OHRQoL was assessed with the aid of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G49) at different time intervals: before treatment (T1), after treatment (T2), after restoration (T3) and at recall (T4). Overall, OHIP scores improved from baseline to follow-up for both concepts with no significant differences between groups. There were no significant differences in subscales between FOE and ISC at T1, T3 and T4. In terms of functional limitations (p = 0.003) and physical disability (p = 0.021), patients in the FOE group temporarily exhibited lower OHRQoL at T2 in comparison to the ISC group. However, at baseline, after final restoration and at recall, the study demonstrates the same level of OHRQoL for both treatment concepts.