# Masticatory Efficiency of Thermoplastic Versus Conventional Acrylic Resin Mandibular Implant Overdenture With Bar/Clip Attachment

## TL;DR

This study found that thermoplastic overdentures with bar/clip attachments improved chewing efficiency compared to traditional acrylic resin ones.

## Contribution

The study introduces a comparison of thermoplastic and conventional acrylic resin materials in mandibular implant overdentures for masticatory efficiency.

## Key findings

- Thermoplastic overdentures showed significantly better masticatory efficiency with carrots and apples.
- Thermoplastic overdentures required fewer swallows and less time to clear food with bananas.
- Statistically significant differences were observed in multiple chewing parameters across food types.

## Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of different base materials of mandibular implant-supported overdenture with bar/clip attachment on masticatory efficiency.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-four edentulous patients were selected to place two interforaminal mandibular implants with custom-made cast bars to retain overdentures made from two different base materials and divided into two groups: Group I was the patients with heat-cured acrylic resin overdentures, and Group II was the patients with thermoplastic base overdentures. Masticatory efficiency was tested using three food categories (carrots, bananas, and apples) and measured by four parameters. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a post hoc Tukey test was used at the chosen probability level p < 0.05.

Results: Group II was more efficient than Group I with the carrots as the difference was statistically significant for two parameters: the number of chewing strokes until the mouth was free of food with p=0.018 and the number of swallows it takes for the mouth to be empty of food p ≤ 0.001. With apples, the significance was related to two parameters: how many chews there were before the first swallow p=0.053 and the number of swallows until the mouth was empty of food p ≤ 0.001. With bananas, the significance is related to two parameters, the number of swallows until the mouth was free of food with p ≤ 0.001 and the time in seconds until the mouth was free from food p=0.037.

Conclusions: The overdentures made with the thermoplastic base material and supported with bar/clip attachments were more masticatory efficient than patients whose overdentures were made of the traditional acrylic resin.

Trial Registration: This clinical study presentation has been registered and publicly figured at clinical trial.gov PRS for protocol registration and results system under ID NCT05877092 University and conducted following the CONSORT checklist.