Objectives: The aim of this prospective clinical cohort study was to validate implant crowns with a novel Functional Implant Prosthodontic Score (FIPS).
Material and methods: Twenty patients were restored with cement-retained crowns on soft tissue level implants (Institut Straumann AG, Basel, Switzerland) in posterior sites and annually followed-up for 3 years. FIPS was applied for the objective outcome assessment including clinical and radiographic examinations. Five variables were defined for evaluation, resulting in a maximum score of 10 per implant restoration. The patients' level of satisfaction was recorded and correlated with FIPS.
Results: All implants and connected crowns revealed survival rates of 100% without any biological or technical complications after three years of loading. The mean total FIPS score was 7.8 ± 1.5, ranging from 6 to 10. The variable "bone" revealed the highest scores (2 ± 0; range: 2-2), followed by "occlusion" (1.9 ± 0.1; range: 1-2). Mean scores for "design" (1.2 ± 0.6; range: 0-2), "mucosa" (1.3 ± 0.7; range: 0-2), and "interproximal" (1.4 ± 0.4; range: 1-2) were more challenging to satisfy. The patients expressed a high level of functional satisfaction (84.1 ± 9.5; range: 68-100). A significant correlation was found between FIPS and the subjective patients' perception with a coefficient of 0.88 (P < 0.0001).
Conclusions: The findings of the clinical trial indicated the potential of FIPS as an objective and reliable instrument in assessing implant success. FIPS can be considered as a supportive tool to validate a satisfactory outcome as perceived by patients, to identify possible failure risks, and to compare follow-up observations.
Keywords: cohort study; dental implants; digital workflow; fixed prosthodontics; follow-up; outcome assessment; patient satisfaction; prospective clinical trial.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.