Evaluation of early changes in oral health-related quality of life amongst Nigerian patients undergoing fixed orthodontic appliance therapy

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate changes in the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) during fixed appliance therapy. Sixty-one patients requiring fixed appliance therapy participated in the study. OHRQoL was assessed in all participants using the United Kingdom Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL-UK) tool and the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ), at baseline (T0), 1 week (T1), 1 month (T2), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T4), after appliance placement. Friedman 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to compare the changes at the P<0.05 significance level. There was a significant deterioration in OHRQoL in the first week of treatment based on the OHRQoL-UK measure (P=0.01). The PIDAQ, however, showed significant improvement in OHRQoL throughout the study period (P<0.05). Fixed orthodontic appliance therapy can significantly improve the OHRQoL of individuals.