Total Oral Health Impact Profile-14 Score Research Articles

Comparison of the Quality of Life Among the Immediate Loading Implant Overdentures Using the Single and the Double Implants: An Original Study.

In edentulous individuals, single implant-retained mandibular overdentures are an effective substitute for double implant-retained overdentures. In this current research, the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was assessed for the immediate loading overdenture using the implants. The comparisons are drawn between the single and double implants. Forty subjects received single and double implants for the placement of the mandibular overdentures. Within a week days of implant insertion, they were loaded with overdentures. Using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire, the OHRQoL was measured before treatment, one month following treatment, and 12 months thereafter. In both the single implant and double implant groups, participants' mean OHIP-14 scores decreased statistically significantly for the different timelines. For the single implant group, the baseline total mean OHIP-14 score was 14.33, and for double implants, it was 19.15. Following therapy, it decreased to 8.55 in the single implant group and 9.48 for the double implant group at one month, and at 12 months, it further decreased to 3.25 in the single implant group while it was 5.15 in the double implant group. Single and double implants increase the QoL for older subjects who are edentulous at the 1-month and 1-year recall points. When two implants are used by older individuals, the single implant might offer an equivalent quality of life.

Assessment of quality of life in patients treated for orbital fractures

PurposeThis study aimed to assess the quality of life (QOL), before and after surgery, of patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation for orbital fractures. Study designA prospective study. Participants and settingThe self-report outcome measures of 50 patients treated at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University from January 2016 to June 2019 were prospectively collected. Main measuresThe quality of life was assessed using four patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs): the 15D questionnaire, Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36). Both descriptive and comparative data analyses were calculated. ResultsZygomaticomaxillary complex fractures were the most encountered (40.3%). The total OHIP-14 scores before and after treatment were 1.72 and 1.68, respectively. Vision, breathing, sleeping, eating, usual activities, discomfort and symptoms, and vitality showed minimal changes in the 15D questionnaire. The HADS scores were ranged from 0 to 7, indicating no anxiety or depression. The comparison of SF-36 scores after 3 months and after ≥6 months of treatment revealed no significant difference. ConclusionsPatients’ QOL was minimally impacted by orbital fractures and their treatments. The severity of the negative impact can be minimized if appropriate management strategies are taken.

Temporomandibular disorder symptoms in young adults: Three-dimensional impact on oral health-related quality of life.

The impact of temporomandibular disorders on functional, pain, and psychosocial aspect of patients' quality of life needed to be assessed. This study examined the three-dimensional impact of pain-related and/or intra-articular Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) symptoms and ascertained the inter-relationships between the functional, pain, and psychosocial aspects of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Young adults were enlisted from a local university and TMD symptoms were assessed with the Diagnostic Criteria for TMDs Symptom Questionnaire (DC/TMD-SQ). Participants were stratified into those with no (NT), pain-related (PT), intra-articular (IT), and mixed (MT) TMD symptoms. OHRQoL was examined using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and dimensional effects (oral function [OF], orofacial pain [OP], and psychosocial impact [PI]) were established subsequently. Data were evaluated with Kruskal-Wallis, Dunn, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (α=.05). The mean age of the participants (n=1205) was 7 ± 1.3 years (71.8% women). While 42.2% reported no TMD symptoms, 22.3%, 16.9%, and 18.5% had PT, IT, and MT accordingly. The MT, PT, and IT groups presented higher total OHIP-14 and dimension scores than the NT group (p < .01). Scores were also significantly different between the MT and IT groups except for OF. For all TMD groups, the ranking of dimensional impact was OP > PI > OF, and associations between the OP and PI dimensions were the strongest (correlation coefficient [rs ]=.57-.76). Young adults with PT and/or IT symptoms have poorer OHRQoL, especially in the OP and PI dimensions, which were moderate to strongly correlated. The use of the three dental Patient-reported Outcome (dPRO) dimensions could provide construct equivalency among OHRQoL measures.

Oral health-related quality of life and dental caries in rheumatoid arthritis patients: a cross-sectional observational study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic, chronic, and inflammatory joint disease with oral complications. This research aimed to compare the oral health-related quality of life and decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index in rheumatoid arthritis patients over 18 years with healthy individuals. In this study, 45 rheumatoid arthritis cases were assigned to the experimental group, and 45 healthy individuals were assigned to the control group. After completing biography forms, the participants filled out two questionnaires. These questionnaires included the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and the Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI). Next, their teeth were clinically examined to check for caries. Finally, the data were analyzed statistically. RA and control groups were similar in gender, marital status, age, occupation, and level of education. However, a significant difference was observed between the two groups concerning DMFT (P<0.001) and total OHIP-14 score (P<0.001). Moreover, no significant difference was observed between the groups concerning the total GOHAI score (P=0.526). The oral health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis patients was lower than that in the general population, with the rate of dental caries being higher in these patients.

Temporomandibular Eklem Bozukluğu Olan Hastaların Psikolojik Durumu ve Ağız Sağlığı ile İlişkili Yaşam Kalitesi: Kesitsel Bir Klinik Çalışma

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the association of psychological factors such as stress, anxiety, and depression with the quality of life in patients with temporomandibular disorder (TMD). Material and Methods: This cross-sectional clinical study was carried out on 375 patients with temporomandibular joint disorder in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of Afyonkarahisar University of Health Sciences Faculty of Dentistry. While the stress level of the participants was evaluated with the Perceived Stress Scale-14, the levels of anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Scales. Participants' quality of life was evaluated using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). SPSS for Windows 21.0 program was used for statistical analyses. Results were evaluated in 95% confidence interval, at p<0.05 and p<0.001 significance levels. Results: The OHIP-14 scale mean score of the participants was 17.42. In this study, the highest scores were observed in the OHIP-14 sub-dimensions of 'physical pain (3.97±2.22)' and 'psychological disturbance (3.02±2.09)'. Both the total OHIP-14 score and the OHIP-14 sub-dimension scores increased significantly as the levels of stress, anxiety and depression increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: These study findings revealed that stress, anxiety, and depression level were positively and strongly correlated with quality of life in patients with TMD. Therefore, it should be taken into consideration in the psychosocial parameters in the treatment of the disease and improving the quality of life.

A Cross-Sectional Comparative Analysis of Smoking and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

Introduction: Tobacco use is a major public health concern globally, and its usage has various harmful effects on both general and oral health. Thus, assessment of the oral health-related quality of life (QOL) is necessary among smokers to improve their oral health. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health-related QOL among smokers and nonsmokers. Methodology: A cross-sectional comparative research was conducted. A total of 520 participants, of which 260 were smokers and 260 were nonsmokers, were included in the study. To acquire data related to sociodemographic parameters and smoking status, the World Health Organization QOL-Brief version assessment tool was used, and to review the association between oral health-related QOL, the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) was used. Results: When comparing smokers and nonsmokers' OHIP, the mean rank of every OHIP-14 question was higher in smokers with a significant P = 0.001, except for “satisfaction of life,” where the P value was not significant (P = 0.347). The distribution of total OHIP-14 scores as per sociodemographic variable showed that a higher mean rank of OHIP-14 was found in unmarried, nonearning, and noneducated participants as compared to married, employed, and literate participants. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Oral health-related QOL among smokers is poor as compared to nonsmokers.

Impact of stage-grade of periodontitis and self-reported symptoms on oral health-related quality of life.

The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of stage-grade of periodontitis and self-reported signs and symptoms on oral health-related quality of life. The diagnosis of periodontitis was based on the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-Implant Diseases and Conditions. The Turkish version of Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) was used to assess oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and the participants were requested to state their symptoms associated with periodontal diseases. One hundred and sixty-six patients were included in the study with a mean age of 46.54±9.24years. The participants with Stage IV and Grade C periodontitis had the highest total OHIP-14 scores (median 20.00 [min.-max, 3.00-35.00] and median 18.50 (min.-max, 0.00-36.00]; respectively). The OHIP-14 scores (mean±SD) were significantly associated with the symptoms of bleeding gums (13.64±9.39), sore gums (18.00±10.47), swollen gums (17.42±10.91), bad breath (15.82±9.44), loose teeth (20.00±8.66) and drifting teeth (24.56±8.46). This study demonstrates a significant association between OHRQoL and periodontitis. Stage-grade of periodontitis and its symptoms were associated with poor quality of life.

Impact of tooth loss position on oral health-related quality of life in adults treated in the community

Background:Tooth loss is known to have negative effects on both functional and psychological oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL), but the impact of the position of the tooth loss (i.e. anterior or posterior) on the different psychosocial dimensions of OHRQoL has yet to be examined. Here, we examined how the position of lost teeth impacts the different dimensions of OHRQoL.Methods:This was a cross-sectional epidemiological study of adults aged 18 years and older attending routine examinations at primary care dental centers in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Demographic information was collected, and OHRQoL was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) (Arabic form). Differences in total and subdomain OHIP-14 scores between individuals without tooth loss and those with ≥1 anterior or posterior missing teeth were assessed using Student's t-test, and analysis of covariance was used to assess the association between the presence and absence of missing teeth in each compartment and total and subdomain OHIP-14 scores after controlling for age, gender, and income.Results:The overall prevalence of tooth loss was 76%. In multivariate analysis controlling for age, gender, and income as covariates, anterior missing teeth were significantly associated with higher OHIP-14 total, physical pain, physical disability, psychological disability, and social disability scores, accounting for 6%–12% of the score variance. However, posterior missing teeth were only associated with total OHIP-14 and functional limitations domain scores, accounting for 6% and 7% of the variance, respectively.Conclusions:Here, we show for the first time the impact of the location of missing teeth on different OHRQoL dimensions. Anterior tooth loss has a wide-ranging impact on both physical and psychosocial functioning compared to posterior tooth loss, suggesting that anterior tooth restoration should be prioritized when treatment planning. The position of lost teeth must be considered in addition to the number of losses when examining the impact of tooth loss and its treatment on OHRQoL.

Impact of prolotherapy in temporomandibular joint disorder: a quality of life assessment

Chronic pain and functional impairment associated with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders (TMD) considerably reduce oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). In the present study we have assessed the influence of prolotherapy in patients with TMD by the subjective measurement of QoL using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Twenty-five patients diagnosed with TMD (mean (range) age 38 (18 – 70) years) were included. They had all undergone dextrose prolotherapy to the TMJ at regular time intervals (four times at intervals of two weeks) using the method suggested by Hemwall-Hackett. They were asked to answer the OHIP-14 questionnaire before and two years after prolotherapy. Seven domains of OHRQoL were rated on a 5-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 4 (very often). Domain scores and total OHIP-14 scores were compared using inferential statistics (chi squared and Wilcoxon signed rank tests). Prolotherapy was effective over time, as all the domains’ mean scores decreased considerably after treatment. The total mean score before prolotherapy was 21.20, which was extensively reduced to 13.08 after prolotherapy (p=0.001). There was statistically significant improvement in all domains, including functional limitation, physical pain, psychological discomfort, physical disability, psychological disability, social disability, and handicap (p≤0.005 in all cases). We concluded that prolotherapy has a promising role in the improvement of OHRQoL of patients with TMD, and its beneficial effects persist at least two years after treatment.

Is there a relationship between general and oral health-related quality of life in partially edentulous patients before and after implant treatment? A quasi-experimental study.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and general health-related quality of life (GHRQoL) in partially edentulous patients before and after implant placement. After obtaining informed consent, using convenient sampling method, 102 participants (64 female and 38 male participants with an age range of 18-81years) were included in the study. Participants were required to fill EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire before implant surgery and three months after prosthetic placement. Data were not normally distributed, so non-parametric tests were used for data analysis. Data analysis was carried out on 93 participants. After implant treatment, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and EQ-5D score significantly increased by 0.05 and 0.06 units, respectively (p<.001 and p=.004, respectively). Also, the total OHIP-14 score significantly decreased from 15.89 to 6.18 after implant treatment (p<.001). Results indicated an increase in general and oral health-related quality of life after implant treatment. According to this study, there was a positive weak relationship between GHRQoL and OHRQoL before and after implant treatment.

Comparison of the quality of life of patients with mandibular third molars and mild pericoronitis treated by extraction or by a periodontal approach

We have evaluated and compared the outcomes after conservatively treated and surgically managed third molars in patients with mild pericoronitis at the first, third, and sixth postoperative months, and we rated patients' quality of life (QoL) using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) index. Of the 128 patients who were originally assessed as eligible we studied 100 patients who fulfilled the protocol, being diagnosed with mild pericoronitis that affected the third molar teeth and who were followed up for six months. Fifty were treated by the periodontal approach and 50 by extraction of third molars. Their oral health-related QoL was assessed using the OHIP-14 index on a personal assessment question form and then repeated at the first, third, and sixth months. The data were analysed using the Mann Whitney, Friedman's, and Wilcoxon's test, as appropriate. There was a significant difference between the total OHIP-14 scores at different time points (p<0.0001). In both groups the three postoperative total OHIP-14 scores were significantly lower than the baseline score, and we noted a further decrease in OHIP-14 scores in the surgical treatment group. Periodontal treatment of mandibular third molar teeth may effectively reduce (but does not eliminate) symptoms, whereas tooth extraction seems to be more effective at the long term.

Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents of Indian population.

ABSTRACTBackground:Kids and teenagers are more prone to oral diseases. Poor oral health has a significant impact on oral well-being–associated quality of life. Thus, we performed an investigation to examine the outcome of oral health status on the quality of life of children and adolescents in Indian population, by using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14).Materials and Methods:A total of 100 children, ranging between 1 and 19 years of age who attended Indian hospitals from November 2016 to October 2019, were included in the study. The DMFT Index (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) and OHIP-14 were used as data collection tools. Association of the total OHIP-14 score and seven subscales associated with it was evaluated using Spearman’s correlations.Results:The results showed statistically noteworthy association between the toothbrushing regularity, number of dental appointments, history of oral trauma, smoking, and subdomains of OHIP-14 (P < 0.05)Conclusion:Dental and oral health of an individual has a great impact on their quality of life.

Xenogenous Collagen Matrix and/or Enamel Matrix Derivative for Treatment of Localized Gingival Recessions: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Part II: Patient-Reported Outcomes.

Gingival recession (GR) might be associated with patient discomfort due to cervical dentin hypersensitivity (CDH) and esthetic dissatisfaction. The aim is to evaluate the effect of root coverage procedure with a xenogenous collagen matrix (CM) and/or enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in combination with a coronally advanced flap (CAF) on CDH, esthetics, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of patients with GR. Sixty-eight participants with single Miller Class I/II GRs were treated with CAF (n = 17), CAF + CM (n = 17), CAF + EMD (n = 17), and CAF + CM + EMD (n = 17). CDH was assessed by evaporative stimuli using a visual analog scale (VAS) and a Schiff scale. Esthetics outcome was assessed with VAS and the Questionnaire of Oral Esthetic Satisfaction. Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire was used to assess OHRQoL. All parameters were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months. Intragroup analysis showed statistically significant reduction in CDH and esthetic dissatisfaction with no intergroup significant differences (P >0.05). The impact of oral health on QoL after 6 months was significant for CAF + CM, CAF + EMD, and CAF + CM + EMD (P <0.05). Total OHIP-14 score and psychologic discomfort, psychologic disability, social disability, and handicap dimensions showed negative correlation with esthetics. OHIP-14 physical pain dimension had positive correlation with CDH (P <0.05). OHIP-14 showed no correlation with percentage of root coverage, keratinized tissue width, or keratinized tissue thickness (P >0.05). Root coverage procedures improve patient OHRQoL by impacting on a wide range of dimensions, perceived after reduction of CDH and esthetic dissatisfaction of patients with GRs treated with CAF + CM, CAF + EMD, and CAF + CM + EMD.

Association of Oral Health-related Quality of Life with Periodontal Status and Treatment Needs.

To evaluate the association of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) with periodontal parameters and treatment needs in a Turkish population and compare the OHRQoL of patients with gingivitis and periodontitis. The present study had a cross-sectional design. The study population consisted of 404 patients with periodontitis (n = 130), gingivitis (n = 141) or periodontal health (n = 133). Patients' sociodemographic information as well as periodontal parameters such as plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL) and the community periodontal index of treatment needs were recorded. The impact of oral health on the patients' quality of life was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire. The OHIP-14 scores in subjects with gingivitis and periodontitis were higher than in periodontally healthy individuals (p < 0.05). Although the total OHIP-14 scores in subjects with periodontitis were higher than those for the subjects with gingivitis, no statistically significant difference existed between the gingivitis and periodontitis groups (p > 0.05). When characterised according to periodontal treatment needs (TN), the total and individual domain OHIP-14 scores were highest in subjects at the TN3 level. The total OHIP-14 scores of subjects correlated with periodontal status, BOP, PD ≥ 4 mm (% of sites), CAL ≥ 4 mm (% of sites) and TN. Our results disclosed that the adverse effects on OHRQoL perceived by patients were similar in subjects with gingivitis and periodontitis. When planning treatment, it should be kept in mind that the pain and physical discomfort domains of the individual subscales are of primary importance to the patients. However, longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the relationship between periodontal status and OHRQoL.

Oral health related quality of life and it’s related factors of stroke patients at home in Korea

ObjectiveDue to physical impairments of stroke patients oral health tends to deteriorate, which may have an impact on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the OHRQoL and analyze its related factors among stroke patients cared for at home in Korea. MethodsOHRQoL of 549 stroke patients aged over 50 who received care at home was assessed by Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) in a City, Korea, from May to June 2009. Trained researchers and five nurses conducted interviews with patients or caregivers in their homes using structured questionnaires. Demographic, general health, stroke, and oral health related variables were surveyed. Statistically, t-test, an analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between OHRQoL and various covariates. ResultsMean of total OHIP-14 score was 35.7±10.0. Age, activity of daily living (ADL) (p<0.001), subjective general and oral health status (p<0.001), degree of disability (p<0.001), frequency of tooth brushing (p<0.001), use of dental floss (p<0.01), missing teeth, and use of denture (p<0.001) showed significant association with the OHIP-14 scores. In multiple regression analyses, ADL, frequency of tooth brushing per day, subjective general status, and oral health status were identified as significant factors with the OHIP-14 scores in stroke patients who received care at home. ConclusionAmong strong patients who received care at home, participants who had more severe physical disability, poorer oral hygiene and more missing teeth showed poorer OHRQoL.

Oral health-related quality of life among an Australian sample of people who inject drugs.

People who inject drugs (PWID) have poor oral health. However, their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is unknown. Our study was designed to measure the OHRQoL of PWID. The Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) was administered to 794 PWID recruited in Australian capital cities as part of the 2013 Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS). Three OHIP-14 summary indicators were examined: "Prevalence" (proportion reporting ≥1 item at least "fairly often"), "severity" (mean total OHIP-14 score), and "extent" (number of impacts reported at least "fairly often"). Associations between "prevalence" and "extent" and variables drawn from the health, drug use, and social domains were investigated. All OHIP-14 summary indicators among IDRS participants were significantly higher than in the general Australian population. In multivariate analysis, the "prevalence" indicator was significantly and positively associated with female gender [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.75, 95% CI 1.27-2.38], those born in Australia (AOR = 2, 95% CI 1.25-3.23), not completing Year 10 compared with those who had completed Year 12 or a higher qualification (AOR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.03-2.44), and methadone treatment (AOR = 1.61, 95% CI 1.14-2.29). The "extent" indicator was significantly and positively associated with female gender [adjusted incidence rate ratio (AIRR) = 1.56, 95% CI 1.19-2.08], unemployment (AIRR = 1.59, 95% CI 1.01-2.44), and having an injecting career of 10-20 years (AIRR = 1.76, 95% CI 1.03-3.01). PWID have poorer OHRQoL than the Australian general population. Poor OHRQoL was particularly common in female PWID and those with longer injecting careers. Interventions to improve the oral health of PWID may improve their OHRQoL.

Impact of self-esteem and personality traits on the association between orthodontic treatment need and oral health-related quality of life in adults seeking orthodontic treatment.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether an association exists between orthodontic treatment need and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and whether this association is moderated by self-esteem (SE) and/or personality traits. In this cross-sectional study comprising 189 adults (55 males and 134 females) aged 17 or older (mean age 31.3 years), the OHRQoL was scored by the use of the shortened version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). The Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to evaluate SE, and the Dutch adaptation of the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory was used to assess personality profiles. Need for treatment was defined by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Spearman correlations, Mann-Whitney U-tests, and regression models were used to analyse the data. There is a modest to weak association between treatment need (Dental Health Component and aesthetic component) and OHRQoL as measured by the total OHIP-14 score (ρ = 0.21, P = 0.01216; ρ = 0.18, P = 0.02960, respectively). A significant, yet modest to weak, association between SE and the total OHIP-14 score was found (ρ = -0.34, P = 0.00057). Moreover, significant associations were found for the total OHIP-14 score and neuroticism and extraversion. Significant associations can be found between SE and all personality traits. There was a significant association between orthodontic treatment need and OHRQoL. Moreover, a significant association can be found between SE and OHRQoL, as well as certain personality traits and OHRQoL. No evidence was found that SE or personality traits moderate the association between OHRQoL and treatment need.

Validation of the Polish version of the oral health impact profile-14.

The Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) is an example of a specific questionnaire used for assessing the quality of life in relation to oral health. The aim of this study was to validate the Polish version of the original English Short-Form OHIP-14 questionnaire. The Polish version of the OHIP-14 instrument had been prepared in accordance with generally accepted standards. The main study was conducted among a group of 150 subjects of both genders, aged from 35 to 91 who were randomly selected. Statistical analysis was made by STATISTICA software using the Cronbach alpha reliability test, Mann-Whitney U test, multiple comparison post-hoc test - LSD and Spearman`s correlation coefficient. The total OHIP-14 score was 8.72 ± 13.39, out of which the highest value was for item 4 (uncomfortable to eat 0.89 ± 1.19). The value of the alpha Cronbach coefficient was above 0.9 for all 14 items of the OHIP-14 instrument indicating excellent internal consistency. Positive relationships between all items of the matrix of the inter-items correlation coefficients were found. The value of coefficients ranged from 0.56 to 0.90 at a significance level of p < 0.01. Construct validity was supported by the fact that oral health condition was correlated with total OHIP score. It was observed that there is a correlation between the quality of life evaluated with the OHIP-14 test and dental condition, dental needs, wearing removable dentures and self-assessment of general health and oral health condition. The obtained data indicated the reliability and validity of OHIP-14 instrument for the assessment of oral health-related quality of life for in Polish adult population.

Oral Health Related Quality of Life of Patients with Disability Attending a Public Physiotherapy Clinic in Lagos, Nigeria

Oral health is a state of the oral and related tissues and structures that contribute positively to physical, mental and social well-being by allowing the individual to speak, eat and socialize unhindered by pain, discomfort or embarrassment. The achievement of optimum oral health can however be limited by certain disabilities. Oral diseases can also have an impact on quality of life, affecting chewing, eating, speaking, self-esteem, social interactions and relationships. The aim of this study was to determine the OHRQOL of physically challenged patients attending the physiotherapy clinic at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja (LASUTH) using the Oral Health Impact Profile -14 (OHIP-14). This cross-sectional study was conducted at the physiotherapy clinic of LASUTH. A simple random sampling technique was utilized to recruit the respondents and an interviewer administered questionnaire was employed to obtain socio-demographic information, clinical status, OHRQOL and to record the findings of the oral examination by trained examiners. Sixteen (20%) of the subjects attended the physiotherapy clinic due to a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), 14 (17.5%) had lumbar spondylitis while 10 (12.5%) had cervical spondylitis. The highest mean OHIP-14 impact score (1.67) was observed in the subdomain of discomfort on chewing. There was a strong association between the total OHIP-14 scores of the subjects and their clinical indicators. Using the overall mean OHIP-14 scores, the educational level and the nature of disability of the subjects was significantly associated with OHRQOL with patients with CVA reporting the highest impact. Improving the levels of oral health in those with impairments or disabilities is a major issue for the dental care services. The physiotherapy clinic can be an avenue for aggressive oral health promotion activities in this group of patients.

Evaluation of salivary function in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

To investigate salivary function in patients with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS) compared with control and to evaluate salivary hypofunction using salivary gland scintigraphy (SGS). A total of 33 patients with primary BMS and 30 control subjects were enrolled in our study. The severity of the pain and the burning sensation on a 10-cm visual analog scale (VAS) and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) were assessed. Unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rates (SFRs) were measured. (99m) Tc pertechnetate SGS was used to evaluate salivary gland function. Unstimulated SFR in patients with BMS was significantly lower than that in the control group (0.11±0.15 vs 0.21±0.16mlmin(-1) , P=0.014). There was no significant difference in stimulated SFR between the two groups. The VAS scores for oral pain and burning sensation, the total OHIP-14 score, and salivary gland function by salivary scintigraphy were not significantly different between BMS patients with normal flow rate and hyposalivation. Patients with primary BMS exhibited a significant decrease in unstimulated SFR compared with control group. In addition, we could not find any difference in salivary gland function between BMS patients with or without hyposalivation.