Single Implant Supported Crowns in the Aesthetic Zone. Patient Evaluation of Aesthetic Appearance Compared to Laypersons and Dentists

OBJECTIVE: To appraise the patients' aesthetic awareness following an implant restoration in the anterior maxilla as compared to dentists and laypeople. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (n=139) restored with an implant-retained crown in the anterior maxilla were invited to rate their satisfaction. Projected magnified images of the crowns were appraised by dentists (n=8) and laypeople (n=6) in room settings. The laypeople judged also printed 10x15cm photographs. Differences in the levels of satisfaction between the actual patient, dentists, and laypeople were compared. PES/WES and Jemt papilla scores were also assigned. RESULTS: Laypeople were less critical than the dentists when judging from printed photographs and vice versa when same images were magnified and projected onto screen. CONCLUSION: Patient satisfaction and awareness of aesthetic appearance following an implant treatment in the aesthetic zone appears to differ from dentists' and laypeople's observations. Laypeople's evaluation is influenced by the method used for appraising the aesthetic outcomes.