title: The course of prosthodontic patients' oral health-related quality of life over a period of 2 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Treatment effects should be large and long-lasting. The aim of this study was to describe for patients treated with fixed dental prostheses (FDP), removable dental prostheses (RDP), and complete dentures (CD) how they perceived their oral health over a period of two years using the concept oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective clinical study, a consecutive sample of 272 adult patients receiving prosthodontic treatment was recruited. The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-G) was used at baseline before prosthodontic treatment, 4-6 weeks, and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after therapy. The OHRQoL of the prosthodontic patients were compared with findings from a general population-based study (N=811), and OHRQoL changes were compared to the minimal important difference of the OHIP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, mean OHIP sum score was 31.1 points, indicating substantially lower OHRQoL than for general population subjects. After a substantial treatment-induced drop of OHRQoL impairment in all treatment groups, OHIP scores increased slowly, but did not reach pretreatment levels after 24 months. While full treatment effect was already present 4-6 weeks after treatment in the FDP and RDP groups, OHRQoL improvement continued until the 12-month assessment in the CD group. When follow-up OHIP scores of the entire sample were compared to baseline scores, all changes were statistically significant, but the magnitude exceeded the OHIP's MID (6 points) only in the assessments at 4-6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Effects of prosthodontic interventions on patients' perception seem to last for at least 2 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taking into consideration that prosthodontic treatment is only one factor for the oral health of a patient, prosthodontic rehabilitation seems to have a substantial influence on a patient's oral health trajectory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: g.aarabi@uke.de.
authors.forename: Ghazal
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aarabi
authors.affiliation: Division of TMD and Orofacial Pain, Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Mike T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: John
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics and Materials Science, University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 12, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Schierz
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heydecke
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental and Oral Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246 Hamburg, Germany; Division of TMD and Orofacial Pain, Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Minnesota, 515 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Reissmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003710:Demography; D017266:Dental Prosthesis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D011476:Prosthodontics; D011788:Quality of Life; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Long-term effects; Oral health-related quality of life; Patient-reported outcomes; Prospective assessment; Prosthodontic treatment