Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine systematically the data published on the efficacy of mandibular implant-retained overdentures from the patient's perspective. Material and methods: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and The Cochrane Systematic Reviews Database were searched and complemented by hand searching. All randomized-controlled trials published in English or French up to April 2007 were included, in which conventional dentures and mandibular implant overdentures in adult edentulous individuals were compared. The outcomes of interest were patient satisfaction, oral and general health-related quality of life. Random effects models were used to pool the effect sizes (ES) of all included studies. Results: Ten publications of seven randomized-controlled trials were identified and eight were included in the meta-analysis. When compared with mandibular conventional dentures, implant overdentures were rated to be more satisfactory at a clinically relevant level [pooled ES 0.80, z=3.56, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.36-1.24, P=0.0004], but a statistical heterogeneity was found (chi(2)=31.63, df=5, P
