PURPOSE: This study described oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) before and after treatment in patients with fixed, removable, and complete dentures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: OHRQoL was measured using the German version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G) in a convenience sample of 107 prosthodontic patients at baseline and 1 and 6 to 12 months after treatment. The sum of OHIP-G item responses (OHIP-G49, range 0 to 196) characterized OHRQoL impairment in 42 patients treated with fixed prosthodontics, 31 patients treated with removable dentures, and 34 patients treated with complete dentures. OHIP-G49 medians were compared with the OHRQoL level in a general population sample (n = 2,026). A multivariable binomial regression analysis, controlling for the effects of baseline OHRQoL and follow-up wave, was used to compare the level of impaired OHRQoL in different prosthodontic treatment groups at follow-ups.

RESULTS: OHRQoL improved in 96% of the subjects. OHIP-G49 medians reached the level of OHRQoL in the general population 1 month after treatment (fixed prosthodontics patients 6 OHIP-G units; general population subjects 5 units; removable denture patients 23 units, 15 units in general population subjects; complete denture patients 13 units, 23 units in general population subjects). OHIP-G49 medians were below population norms 6 to 12 months after treatment. In patients treated with removable/complete dentures, the expected posttreatment OHIP-G49 problem rate was 1.9 times the problem rate in patients treated with fixed prosthodontics, holding baseline OHIP-G49 and follow-up wave constant.

CONCLUSION: OHRQoL changed substantially comparing pretreatment scores with 1 and 6 to 12 months of follow-up in patients treated with fixed, removable, and complete dentures.

John MT, Slade GD, Szentpetery A, Setz JM.

Int J Prosthodont. 2004 Sep-Oct;17(5):503-11.