Impact of oral health on the life quality of periodontal patients.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of oral health on the life quality of a periodontal patient group.


METHODS
Two hundred and five patients attending a private periodontal clinic completed a questionnaire incorporating the 16-item UK oral health-related quality-of-life measure (OHQoL-UK), a check list of questions about their periodontal health over the past year and a comprehensive periodontal examination.


RESULTS
The effect of oral health on quality of life was considerable, with many individuals experiencing negative impacts across a broad range of physical, social and psychological aspects of life quality. OHQoL-UK(Copyright ) scores was associated with patient's self-reported periodontal health in the past year: experiences of "swollen gums" (p<0.01), "sore gums" (p<0.01), "receding gums" (p<0.01), "loose teeth" (p<0.01), "drifting teeth" (p<0.01), "bad breath" (p<0.01) and "toothache" (p<0.01). In addition, OHQoL-UK scores were correlated with the number of teeth with pocket depths of 5 mm or more (r(s)-0.42, p<0.01). New patients had poorer oral health-related quality of life compared with the treated maintenance group (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Periodontal status impacts on life quality. This has implications in understanding the consequences of periodontal health and in the use of patient-centred outcomes in periodontal research.
Needleman
Ian
I
International Centre for Evidence-Based Periodontal Health, Department of Periodontology, Eastman Dental Institute, University College London, London, UK. I.Needleman@eastman.ucl.ac.uk
McGrath
Colman
C
Floyd
Peter
P
Biddle
Amanda
A
D000339:Affect; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004955:Esthetics, Dental; D005889:Gingival Recession / Q000523:psychology; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000523:psychology; D006209:Halitosis / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010514:Periodontal Pocket / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D014085:Tooth Migration / Q000523:psychology; D014086:Tooth Mobility / Q000523:psychology; D014098:Toothache / Q000523:psychology