Oral Health Impact Profile Summary Research Articles

IMPACT OF SHORTENED DENTAL ARCH ON ORAL HEALTH-RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE

BackgroundA shortened dental arch (SDA) is an established treatment concept for patients with missing molars. However, little is known regarding long-term course of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with SDA and the benefits from replacement of missing molars. ObjectivePurpose of this multi-center randomized clinical trial was to assess OHRQoL over a period of 15 years in patients with molar replacement by a removable partial denture (RPD) compared to patients with a restored SDA without molar replacement. MethodsPatients at least 35 years of age with all molars missing in 1 jaw and at least the canine and one premolar present on each side were included. Patients received either a precision attachment-retained, RPD for replacement of missing molars (n = 79), or the dental arch ended with the second premolar (SDA) that had to be present or replaced by a cantilever fixed dental prosthesis (n = 71). Follow-up examinations continued for 15 years. OHRQoL was assessed with the 49-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP). OHIP summary and dimension scores were longitudinally modeled in the statistical analyses to assess course of OHRQoL over time applying an intention-to-treat approach. In addition, scores for the OHRQoL dimensions Oral Function, Orofacial Pain, Orofacial Appearance, and Psychosocial Impact were analyzed. ResultsAfter an initial improvement in OHRQoL indicated by a mean decrease of 20.0 OHIP points with an effect size of 0.61 in the entire study population, OHRQoL stayed relatively constant over the entire follow-up period. Assuming a constant time and treatment effects over the study period, OHRQoL did not differ statistically significant between the 2 treatments (0.4 OHIP points; 95%-CI: 7.1 - 6.2). OHRQoL after treatment did not change notably over 15 years and was statistically nonsignificant as well (P = .872). Similar findings were observed in all 4 OHRQoL dimensions. ConclusionsIn patients, missing all molars in one jaw OHRQoL improved providing RPD or restoring SDA to a clinically relevant degree. Treatment-related improvement remained mostly stable over a period of at least 15 years. Therefore, patients can be informed that both treatment concepts are equivalent concerning long-term OHRQoL. Accordingly, patients’ preferences regarding treatment options should be granted priority in treatment decision making with the SDA treatment option being the default.

Methodological considerations when measuring oral health-related quality of life.

Dental patient-reported outcomes (dPROs) and their measures, dPROMs, are fundamental for evidence-based dentistry. However when selecting, applying and evaluating an instrument with a focus on OHRQoL assessment for adults, several methodological considerations are essential to derive valid and meaningful results. In this review article, criteria for selecting the appropriate OHRQoL instrument, aspects of administering the instrument and how to evaluate resulting scores of single and multiple assessments are presented and critically assessed. Oral disease-generic and dimension-generic instruments capturing the entire construct OHRQoL allow for best comparability of findings across different diseases, settings and populations, with the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) being the most often used and methodologically best investigated one. It is available in several versions with the 5-item version being the one with the lowest burden for the patient. Responses are given on a 5-point ordinal rating scale, the recommended response scale for dPROMs. A 7-day recall period allows for assessment of short-term effects. Clinically relevant effects of item or instrument order or administration method on OHIP scores do not seem to be likely. OHIP summary and dimension scores can be compared to norms from general population or different patient populations. Change scores should be set into context with the minimal important difference of the instrument. OHIP-5 has greatest potential to be used across all settings for assessment and evaluation of OHRQoL in adults. It allows a comprehensive characterising of patients suffering from oral diseases and of this impact using OHRQoL dimensions.

Patient Satisfaction after Prosthetic Rehabilitation of Bone-Grafted Alveolar Clefts with Nonsubmerged ITI Straumann Dental Implants Loaded at Three Months

To assess clinical, aesthetic, and quality-of-life parameters of cleft lip and palate patients' implant-supported crowns with ITI Straumann nonsubmerged and loaded after 3 months implants. In 17 bone-grafted cleft patients, 24 implants were placed nonsubmerged, loaded at 3 months to support crowns in the cleft area, and followed up at 40 months on average (± 22 months). The oral-health-related quality of life was assessed in all patients with the German Oral Health Impact Profile after implant therapy. Aesthetics were judged on photographs by dental professionals, nonprofessionals, and the patients themselves. The Implant Crown Aesthetic Index served as an objective tool. A total of 23 implants (95.8%) were loaded and in function. Clinical parameters were marginal bone loss of 1.15 ± 2.16 mm, peri-implant probing depth of 2.56 ± 0.66 mm, width of keratinized mucosa of 2.71 ± 1.1 mm, mucosal recession of 0.41 ± 0.8 mm, Periotest value of 0.18 ± 6.5, and German Oral Health Impact Profile summary score of ≤ 2. The best aesthetic outcome was assessed by the patients themselves. Soft tissues were rated worse than were implant-supported crowns. Implant-borne prosthetic rehabilitation of bone-grafted clefts with nonsubmerged ITI Straumann implants with 3 months' loading represents a reliable treatment option with high success rates in the long term. Functional aspects are comparable to those of noncleft patients. The oral-health-related quality of life of cleft patients is similar to that of noncleft patients. Aesthetics are restricted but satisfactory to patients and dental professionals. Aesthetics of peri-implant soft tissues should be improved in the future.