Impacts of missing upper anterior teeth on daily living.
BACKGROUND
Aesthetics and function of the orofacial region are very important aspects of human life which may be affected by tooth loss and impact on the quality of life. The aim of this study was to identify the effects of anterior tooth loss on patients' quality of life and satisfaction with their dentition.


METHODS
Fifty partially edentulous patients with missing anterior teeth and 50 control subjects who had no missing teeth were recruited into the study. The control subjects matched the patients by age, gender, and level of education. A Dental Impact on Daily Living questionnaire was used to assess dental impacts on daily living and satisfaction with the dentition.


RESULTS
Tooth loss has a definite measurable impact on patients' daily living and satisfaction with their appearance, pain levels, oral comfort, general performance, and eating capacities (p = 0.000). Age and level of education had no effect on patients' total satisfaction with their dentition and daily living. However, females were less satisfied with appearance, general performance and eating (p = 0.003, 0.005 and 0.007 respectively) than males. There were significant correlations between the number of missing anterior teeth and patients' total satisfaction (p = 0.028) and patients satisfaction with appearance, oral comfort, general performance, and eating dimensions (p = 0.001, 0.048, 0.011 and 0.009 respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Tooth loss has definitive impact on patients' satisfaction with their dentition regardless of personal factors such as age, gender and level of education. The higher the number of missing teeth the lower the levels of satisfaction with the dentition and daily living.
Al-Omiri
Mahmoud K
MK
Faculty of Dentistry, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan. alomirim@yahoo.co.uk
Karasneh
Jumana A
JA
Lynch
Edward
E
Lamey
Philip-John
PJ
Clifford
Thomas J
TJ
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007180:Incisor; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000523:psychology*; D007597:Jordan; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016388:Tooth Loss / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult