Impact Of Oral Conditions Research Articles

Perceptions of Parents/Caregivers About the Impact of Oral Conditions on the Quality of Life of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

To investigate the perceptions of parents/caregivers about the impact of oral conditions on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children/adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to the perceptions of parents/caregivers of children/adolescents without ASD. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted involving 80 children/adolescents with ASD three to 16 years of age matched by sex and age with 80 children/adolescents without ASD and their parents/caregivers. Clinical examinations were performed for the diagnosis of dental caries experience (DMFT/dmft), clinical consequences of untreated dental caries (PUFA/pufa), visible plaque (VPI), bleeding on probing (BPI), malocclusion and traumatic dental injury (TDI). Parents/caregivers answered a questionnaire addressing sociodemographic characteristics and the Brazilian version of the Parental-Caregiver Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ), which measures OHRQoL from the perspective of parents/caregivers. Data analysis involved the Wilcoxon test, chi-squared test and Poisson regression. Dental caries experience impacted OHRQoL in the group with ASD regarding the total P-CPQ score (p < 0.001) as well as the "oral symptoms" (p = 0.011) and "wellbeing" (p < 0.011) domains. No differences were found between the perceptions of parents/caregivers of children/adolescents with ASD and perceptions of parents/caregivers of children/adolescents without ASD (p = 0.721). Dental caries experience can have a negative impact on the OHRQoL of children/adolescents with ASD.

Impact on oral health-quality of life in infants: Multicenter study in Latin American countries.

To assess the impact of oral conditions on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in infants in ten Latin America countries (LAC). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 930 pairs of 1-to-3-year-old children/parents from 10 LAC, as a complementary study of the Research Observatory for Dental Caries of the Latin American Region. The scale ECOHIS, previously tested and valid in ten countries, was applied to parents/caregivers of children to measure OHRQoL. Statistical analysis included descriptive data analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA-One-Way) were performed to compare age groups with OHRQoL. Bootstrapping procedures (1000 re-samplings; 95%CI Bca) were performed. The mean scores of the 'Child Impact' section in the LAC was 4.0(±8.3), in the 'Family Impact' section was 2.0(±4.0), and in overall ECOHIS score was 6.0(±12.0). In the 'Child Impact' section, Argentina 10.0(+2.4) and Venezuela 17.8(±17.5) demonstrated mean scores higher than the LAC total data. In the 'Family Impact' section, the countries with higher mean scores were Argentina 4.9(±2.0), Ecuador 2.1(±3.1) and Venezuela 7.9(±7.8). In the overall ECOHIS score, Argentina 15.1 (±4.1) and Venezuela 25.7(±25.2) has higher mean scores than the values of LAC. There is an association between children's age and parents' report of impact on the OHRQoL (p<0.001). Three-year-olds had a higher mean when compared to one- and two-year-olds, both in the Impact on the Child and Impact on the Family (p<0.001) sections, as well as in the overall ECOHIS (p<0.001). In conclusion, there are differences in OHRQoL among Latin American countries, impacting older children more significantly.

Impact of Oral Conditions and Subjective Factors on Academic Performance

Objective: To evaluate the influence of oral health clinical and non-clinical indicators on adolescents’ academic performance . Material and Methods: A longitudinal design was performed with a random sample of 1,134 12-year-old Brazilian adolescents. In 2012, the adolescents were clinically assessed by calibrated dentists and investigated about demographics, socioeconomic factors, dental service use, toothache, and verbal bullying related to oral condition via structured questionnaires. The contextual variable was obtained from the city’s official database. After two years, 771 adolescents were reassessed. The outcome adolescent’s academic performance (good or poor) was collected through official school’s register. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to assess associated factors for adolescents’ academic performance. Results: Adolescents with toothache (OR 1.74; CI 95%: 1.05-2.89), who have been a victim of bullying (OR 2.23; CI 95%: 1.21-4.09), and were male (OR 1.92; CI 95%: 1.19-3.09) had a lower academic performance. On the other hand, adolescents whose mothers had higher educational levels (OR 1.79; CI 95%: 1.08-2.97) and belonged to higher-income households (OR 1.95; CI 95%: 1.18-3.23) had higher academic performance when compared to their peers . Conclusion: Adverse oral conditions, as well as subjective and socioeconomic factors, impacted on adolescents’ academic performance.

ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF ORAL HEALTH PARAMETERS ON ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN FUTURE DENTISTS

WHO estimates health as complete physical, mental and social well-being. Clinical indicators of oral diseases are not entirely suitable to capture this concept of health. Standardized questionnaires have been developed to evaluate the physical, psychological, and social impact of oral conditions on an individual. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) identifies the impact of oral health on aspects of everyday life in terms of a person’s functional, social, and psychological well-being. The oral health impact profile (OHIP) is widely used to measure OHRQoL in adults, its short version includes 14 items (OHIP-14).&#x0D; The aim was to investigate how self-reported and clinically-assessed parameters of oral health are related to OHRQoL measured by OHIP-14 in dental students of UMSA.&#x0D; 101 third- and fourth-year dental students aged 19–26 years attending UMSA in Poltava, Ukraine, took a questionnaire in Ukrainian. The first part of the questionnaire includes information on age, sex, self-assessed oral health, self-assessed dental aesthetic, satisfaction with mouth and teeth, and oral health behaviour. Questions on oral health behaviour included regularity of dental visits and frequency of tooth brushing. All these items were categorized into different groups. The question on dental aesthetic had the response option “difficult to answer”. When that response was chosen (n = 2 questionnaires), this data was considered missing and the students were excluded from the analysis.&#x0D; The second part of the questionnaire included the OHIP-14 to measure OHRQoL. There were seven dimensions of negative impact on OHRQoL: functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability, and handicap. There were two items for each dimension, which added up to a total of 14 items. Participants rated the frequency with which they experienced each of these items in the last 12 months using a 5-point Likert scale (“never” = 0, “hardly ever” = 1, “occasionally” = 2, “fairly often” = 3, and “very often” = 4). In addition, each item had the response option “I do not know”. When a student missed one answer or chose the option “I do not know” (for at least one item), the data was considered missing, and the student was excluded from the analysis (n=2).&#x0D; A clinical dental examination was performed. All permanent teeth were taken into consideration to measure dental caries experience using the DMF index. The Green-Vermillion index was applied for oral hygiene estimation. To assess the extent of gingivitis, the PMA index was used. The chi-square test was applied to compare the percentage of students with low and high OHRQoL between categories of self-reported oral health characteristics, and oral health behaviour. When comparing data on clinically-assessed oral health (the DMF, Green-Vermillion, and PMA indices), the Mann–Whitney U test was used for the two independent groups (with low and high OHRQoL). p-values&lt;0.05 were considered as statistically significant.&#x0D; A total of 97 students were included in the statistical analysis, 43 of which were males and 54 were females. The highest mean scores in OHIP-14 were observed for the dimensions of physical pain (39,17%). Students with poor self-assessed oral health, poor self-assessed dental aesthetic, and who reported dissatisfaction with mouth and teeth more frequently fell into the group with low OHRQoL (p&lt;0,05). The mean DMF was 5,41, Green-Vermillion hygienic index was 0,54, and РМА – 4,48%. However, a higher DMF index score, high Green-Vermillion index, and high PMA in students were not associated with low OHRQoL (р&gt;0,5).&#x0D; In this study, the self-reported assessment of oral health affects the dental students' quality of life, while the clinical characteristics do not. Physical pain was the most frequently reported OHIP-14 dimension with an impact on OHRQoL. Poor self-assessed dental aesthetic and dissatisfaction with mouth and teeth were the strongest factors associated with low OHRQoL.&#x0D; The line of research pertaining to other parameters of oral health in youth that impact dental aesthetic and oral health, and thus oral health-related quality of life, is considered promising.

Oral health-related quality of life among pediatric liver transplant candidates

To assess the impact of oral conditions on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of pediatric liver transplant candidates. This cross-sectional study included 60 children aged 13 to 48 months who were liver transplant candidates that attended the AC Camargo Cancer Center, São Paulo, Brazil. On the day of oral examinations, the children's mothers were invited to answer two questionnaires; one related to children's OHRQoL using the B-ECOHIS and another related to socioeconomic/demographic characteristics. Thereafter, a single, adequately trained dentist carried out children's oral examinations for gingival inflammation (Silness-Löe index), dental plaque (Green-Vermillion Simplified index), dental caries (dmft index), developmental defects of enamel (DDE index), tooth discoloration, oral mucosal/lip alterations. The data collected also included socioeconomic/demographic characteristics and liver disease. The adjusted Poisson regression model was used to associate children's socioeconomic/demographic characteristics and clinical conditions to the outcome. The adjusted regression model showed that children with untreated caries lesions (RR = 3.35, p < 0.0001) and tooth discoloration (RR = 1.74, p = 0.04) had poorer total B-ECOHIS scores. Dental discoloration and untreated caries lesions had a negative impact on the OHRQoL in pediatric liver transplant candidates.

Association between social conditions and oral health in school failure.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of school failure among Brazilian adolescents with social conditions and aspects of oral health through hierarchical analysis.METHODS A state-wide survey of 5,558 adolescents from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, inquired about the sociodemographic and social capital of participants by using a structured questionnaire. Trained and calibrated professionals performed intraoral examinations and interviews in the households. Questions about the access to dentist, reason for and frequency of using dental services, toothache episodes and impact of oral conditions on daily activities (OIDP) were applied. Oral examinations evaluated caries experience, tooth losses, periodontal problems, presence of open bite, and maxillary and mandibular overjet. School failure was estimated according to the teenagers’ years of schooling. The independent variables were grouped into three blocks: sociodemographic and economic characteristics, social capital and oral health aspects. The multiple hierarchical logistic regression model was used to identify the factors associated with school failure.RESULTS Of the total sample, information about schooling of 5,162 adolescents was obtained, of whom 29.6% presented school failure. We found that adolescents over the age of 16 years who did not declare themselves as white, female, with feelings of insecurity, unhappiness, with toothache, caries, tooth losses, affected by dentofacial and/or periodontal changes, were more likely to fail at school.CONCLUSION Oral disorders and social factors were associated with school failure in adolescents. A successful school trajectory was a strong determinant of health, therefore actions between the educational and health sectors must be developed for adolescents, especially those with this profile.

Impact of oral conditions on the quality of life of incarcerated women in Brazil

Imprisoned women represent a growing population worldwide with important health needs. In this study, we aimed to analyze the impact of oral health conditions on the quality of life of female inmates in a maximum security correctional facility. Participants were examined and answered the OHIP-14 questionnaire. A total of 305 inmates were included in the study. Prevalence of untreated caries was 84%. Worse quality of life was associated with dental caries, dental pain, deep periodontal pocket, prosthetic use, and age. Sociodental indicators should be incorporated into healthcare and health policies in order to promote wellbeing among this vulnerable population.

Impact of oral condition on the quality of life of homeless people.

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVE:To describe the prevalence of oral health impact on quality of life and its association with the dental condition and sociodemographic factors of homeless people.METHODS:The sample was composed of 116 adults, temporarily attended by a public institution in the municipality of Goiânia, state of Goiás. Interviews were carried out including the Oral Impact on Daily Performance instrument and sociodemographic aspects. Clinical examinations were done by a trained examiner considering criteria of the World Health Organization. We evaluated dental caries (DMFT index) and use or need to use some type of prosthesis. For the statistical analysis of data, we used Pearson's Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests and Poisson regression with robust variance.RESULTS:Of the total respondents, 81.9% had at least one daily performance affected by dental problems in the six months prior the survey. The most prevalent dental conditions were: need for lower arch (76.7%) and upper arch prosthesis (69.0%); untreated caries (75.9%); and high DMFT (57.8%). In bivariate analysis, only the need for upper prosthesis variable was associated with the impact (high Oral Impact on Daily Performance). In the regression model, adjusted for time in the institution, age, and sex, this association remained significant (p = 0.015). Individuals without need for upper prosthesis had prevalence of high impact on daily performance 55% lower than those in need of this type of prosthesis (p = 0.018).CONCLUSIONS:The prevalence of oral health impact on quality of life of homeless people was high and higher than that verified in the overall Brazilian population. The impact was associated with the need for upper prosthesis, regardless of sociodemographic characteristics of the individuals.

Impact of oral conditions on quality of life in schoolchildren in urban area of Cuenca-Ecuador

Objetivos: Determinar Impacto de las Condiciones Orales sobre la Calidad de Vida Relacionada a Salud Bucal (CVRSB) en escolares de dos escuelas urbanas, Cuenca – Ecuador el año 2015. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal, que valoró a 208 escolares de 11 y 12 años, de las escuelas Ezequiel Crespo y Ulises Chacón, de Cuenca, Ecuador. Se determinó un promedio de edad de 11,48 ± 0,501, donde 159 (76,44%) fueron varones y 49 (23,56%) fueron mujeres, se aplicó el instrumento Child Oral Impacts on Daily Performance Index (Child OIDP Index) en español, versión validada en Perú que permite evaluar los impactos de 17 condiciones orales sobre 8 desempeños diarios. Resultados: Las prevalencias de las condiciones orales autopercibidas como problema fueron: posición de dientes (54%) y diente cariado (52%), los impactos en desempeños diarios más afectados fueron: sonreír (38%) y comer (36%). Conclusiones: El Índice Child-OIDP Index promedio global fue de 9,79 ± 7,02, considerado alto.

PR269: Impact of oral conditions on the quality of life in diabetic type 2 patients

PR269: Impact of oral conditions on the quality of life in diabetic type 2 patients

ESTUDIO PILOTO COMPARATIVO DE SALUD ORAL RELACIONADA A LA CALIDAD DE VIDA EN ESCOLARES DEL CANTÓN CAÑAR ECUADOR 2015

Se realizó un estudio piloto comparativo con el objetivo de determinar el impacto de las condiciones orales en la calidad de vida de los escolares del sector urbano y rural del Cantón Cañar, Ecuador a través de la aplicación del cuestionario Child OIDP, en el año 2015. Se realizó un Estudio trasversal observacional mismo que evaluó a 37 niños de 11 y 12 años de edad, de dos escuelas del Cantón Cañar que cumplieron con los criterios de selección, las escuelas intervenidas fueron en zona urbana (Luis Roberto Chacón) y rural (Huayrapungo). Los datos fueron recolectados a través de una entrevista personal con cada niño empleando el instrumento Child OIDP versión peruana. Según los resultados obtenidos los principales desempeños afectados fueron el sonreír en un 60%, comer en un 57.1%, socializar en un 54.3%, limpiarse la boca en un 34.3%; los menos afectados fueron erupción diente permanente en un 11.4%, dormir en un 5.7%, estudiar en un 2.9% y no se vio afectado el desempeño de hablar. En conclusión, tanto los niños de la escuela urbana y rural presentaban al menos un impacto que afectaba a un desempeño; siendo el desempeño sonreír el más afectado en la escuela urbana y el desempeño comer en la escuela rural.

Oral health-related quality of life in patients presenting with dentine hypersensitivity: A randomized controlled study of treatment effect

Objective: Dentine hypersensitivity (DH) remains a common chronic dental pain affecting the daily life of sufferers. Patients' perception of the impact of oral conditions on their quality of life as well as treatment outcome has become popular. Little is however known about the impact of DH on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among these patients. The aim of this study was therefore to assess and compare the OHRQoL before and after treatment among patients presenting with DH. Materials and Methods: Conducted as a randomized, controlled study, the patients were randomized into experimental (n = 51) and control groups (n = 17) for the application of three in-office desensitizing agents: copal fluoride; 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and glutaraldehyde (Gluma desensitizer); arginine-calcium carbonate (Pro-Argin); and distilled water. The English version of the Oral Health Impact Profile with 14 items (OHIP-14) was administered to all patients before treatment and afterward at 1, 2, and 4 weeks to assess the OHRQoL. Results: Prevalence of impact (24.7%), extent of impact (12.9 ± 4.1), and severity of impact (10.56 ± 5.55) all revealed impact on the OHRQoL. The OHIP-14 scores reduced significantly among the patients treated with the desensitizing agents (P = 0.000), with no significant reduction in patients treated with the placebo (P = 0.901). There were no gender differences in the overall OHIP-14 scores. Regression analysis revealed age and number of hypersensitive teeth as predictors of pretreatment impact of DH on OHRQoL. Conclusions: DH had a significant impact on the OHRQoL of patients suffering from the condition. Treatment resulted in significant improvement in OHRQoL.

The impact of oral conditions on children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland 2013

Background The 2013 Children's Dental Health survey is the fifth in a series of national surveys.Aim To summarise key findings on oral health perceptions, oral symptoms, and the impacts of oral conditions on the daily life of children and their families.Methodology A representative sample of children (aged 5, 8 12 and 15 years) and their parents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland completed relevant questionnaires.Results Oral symptoms, even more profound ones such as toothache, were prevalent among all age groups. Overall, 58% of 12- and 45% of 15-year-olds reported at least one oral impact in the past three months. The most prevalent oral impact was feeling embarrassed to smile or laugh, followed by difficulty eating. These symptoms and oral impacts were disproportionately high among children eligible for free school meals. Furthermore, one fifth to one third of parents reported that their children's oral conditions had some impact on their family life.Conclusion Oral symptoms were common and oral conditions had a negative impact on the quality of life of large proportions of children. There were clear and marked socioeconomic inequalities, with considerably worse oral health perceptions and higher levels of oral impacts among the more deprived children.

Oral health conditions affect functional and social activities of terminally ill cancer patients

Oral conditions are established complications in terminally ill cancer patients. Yet despite significant morbidity,the characteristics and impact of oral conditions in these patients are poorly documented. The study objective was to characterize oral conditions in terminally ill cancer patients to determine the presence, severity, and the functional and social impact of these oral conditions. This was an observational clinical study including terminally ill cancer patients (2.5–3-week life expectancy). Data were obtained via the Oral Problems Scale (OPS) that measures the presence of subjective xerostomia, orofacial pain, taste change, and the functional/social impact of oral conditions and a demographic questionnaire. A standardized oral examination was used to assess objective salivary hypofunction, fungal infection, mucosal erythema, and ulceration. Regression analysis and t test investigated the associations between measures. Of 104 participants, most were ≥50 years of age,female, and high-school educated; 45 % were African American, 43 % Caucasian, and 37 % married. Oral conditions frequencies were: salivary hypofunction (98 %), mucosal erythema (50 %), ulceration (20 %), fungal infection(36 %), and other oral problems (46 %). Xerostomia, taste change, and orofacial pain all had significant functional impact; p <.001, p =.042 and p <.001, respectively. Orofacial pain also had a significant social impact (p <.001). Patients with oral ulcerations had significantly more orofacial pain with a social impact than patients without ulcers (p =.003). Erythema was significantly associated with fungal infection and with mucosal ulceration (p <.001). Oral conditions significantly affect functional and social activities in terminally ill cancer patients. Identification and management of oral conditions in these patients should therefore be an important clinical consideration.

The impact of periodontitis on oral health‐related quality of life: a review of the evidence from observational studies

Modern population based oral health management requires a complete understanding of the impact of disease in order to provide efficient and effective oral health care and guidance. Periodontitis is an important cause of tooth loss and has been shown to be associated with a number of systemic conditions. The impact of oral conditions and disorders on quality of life has been extensively studied. However, the impact of periodontitis on quality of life has received less attention. This review summarizes the literature on the impact of periodontitis on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Relevant publications were identified after searching the MEDLINE and EMBASE electronic databases. Screening of titles and abstracts and data extraction was conducted. Only observational studies were included in this review. Most of the reviewed studies reported a negative impact of periodontitis on OHRQoL. However, the reporting standards varied across studies. Moreover, most of the studies were conducted in developed countries.

Caries prevalence and severity, and quality of life in Brazilian 2- to 4-year-old children

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of caries and severe caries on preschool children's quality of life. Data from 765 2- to 4-year-old children attending a statutory National Day of Children's Vaccination in Macapá (Northern Brazil) were analysed. Caries and severe caries were indicated by the dmfs and pufa indices, respectively. Parents completed a questionnaire including questions on socioeconomic factors and the impact of oral conditions on their children's quality of life using the Brazilian version of the Parental Perceptions Questionnaire for preschool children. Logistic regression was used to test the unadjusted and adjusted associations of caries and severe caries with different aspects of children's quality of life. Sixty-two and five per cent of children had dental caries (dmfs index > 0) and severe caries (pufa index > 0), respectively. In the adjusted models, having caries was significantly related to toothache and problems eating certain foods as well as to be absent from school and ashamed to smile, whereas having severe caries was significantly related to toothache and problems eating certain foods only. Neither caries nor severe caries was related to stop playing with other children. This study shows that caries and severe caries may have a considerable impact on some aspects of preschool children's quality of life.

Applicability of an Albanian version of the OIDP in an adolescent population

The impact of oral conditions on quality of life of adolescents has not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of an Albanian version of the oral impact of daily performance (OIDP) questionnaire. A total of 493 adolescents attending secondary public schools in Albania attended clinical examination and completed a questionnaire that included an Albanian version of the OIDP inventory. The psychometric properties of the OIDP were evaluated in terms of reliability and validity. The validity and reliability of the Albanian version of OIDP were good. Cohen's Kappa ranged from 0.72 to 0.79. In terms of internal consistency, Cronbach's alpha was 0.77. Construct and criterion validity were demonstrated in that the OIDP frequency scores were statistically significant with global measures of self-rated and self-perceived oral health status variables and some of the clinical variables used in this study. A total 60.9% of participants reported having at least one oral impact. The most prevalent impact was difficulty in smiling, whereas difficulty in speaking was less prevalent impact. The Albanian version of OIDP seems to be a reliable and valid scale for use in an urban adolescent population.

Correlation between oral health perception and clinical factors in a Brazilian community.

The aim of this study was to analyse associations between self-perception of oral health and relevant clinical, personal and socio-demographic factors in a Brazilian community. Urban adults living in a city in southern Brazil were interviewerd and examined. Individuals with acute pain and who needed multiple extractions of teeth were excluded. Self-perception and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) were applied to measure the impact of oral conditions on the quality of life. Socio-demographic and clinical indicators were also analysed. The clinical examination revealed a high dental caries experience (DMFT = 18.9) and a high prevalence of periodontal disease. Oral condition was considered "normal" by 42% of respondents. The variables associated with the OHIP-14 were: education, age, self-assessment, dental caries and the DMFT index. Self-perception of oral health was associated with OHIP-14 and the clinical indicators had low influence in the self-perception. Therefore, the development of educational initiatives and preventive strategies for the adult population is recommended.

Assessing Levels of Agreement between Two Commonly Used Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life Measures

This study aimed to assess the level of agreement between two commonly used oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures, the short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP14) and the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP). A sample of 1,675 15- to 16-year-old students attending all schools in Bauru (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was selected. The impact of oral conditions on quality of life in the last 6 months was reported using both OHIP14 and OIDP. To allow for comparison with the 100 percent OIDP score, OHIP14 scores were converted to percentages. Then, agreement between the two OHRQoL measures was analyzed using the Bland and Altman method. The mean difference between OHIP14 and OIDP was 6.48 percent [confidence interval 95% (6.08; 6.89)], with higher scores reported for OHIP14 than for OIDP. Besides, 95 percent of the differences between the two OHRQoL measures were between -10.59 and 23.56 percent. Finally, differences between OHIP14 and OIDP increased significantly as the magnitude of their average increased (P < 0.001). There was a moderate level of agreement between OHIP14 and OIDP, which may be partly due to the fact that both OHRQoL measures assess different levels of oral impacts on quality of life in addition to having different scoring systems.

Oral health‐related quality of life: a critical appraisalof assessment tools used in elderly people

The purpose of this study was to undertake a critical appraisal of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measurements used for research in the elderly. A variety of OHRQoL measurements have been developed in the past 20 years as a result of increased concern about the impact of oral conditions on a person's quality of life. There is need for an assessment aimed at prioritising the recommended measurements to be used for different purposes in the elderly. Original English language papers using measurements to assess OHRQoL in the elderly were identified from Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, Medline and Lilacs databases. The search included all papers published from 1985 to February 2007. The criteria of assessment were: (i) measurement criteria (number of items and domains, and classification of the results found for each measurement); (ii) quantitative-qualitative criteria (frequency, acceptability, reproducibility, reliability, sensitivity and capability of being reproduced in other language versions). In a total of 152 papers selected, 20 measurements were identified. However, only seven fulfilled all the measurement and quantitative-qualitative criteria. Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, Subjective Oral Health Status Indicators, Oral Health Impact Profile-49, Dental Impact on Daily Living, Oral Health Impact Profile-14, Oral Impact on Daily Performances and German Version of the Oral Heath Impact Profile were considered as instruments of choice to assess OHRQoL in the elderly. The other 13 instruments identified require further research aimed at a validation process and the use of a language other than English.