title: A clinical investigation of the relationship between the quality of conventional complete dentures and the patients' quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between the clinical quality of conventional complete dentures and patient quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included a random sample of 32 completely edentulous patients (15 males and 17 females) who were treated with conventional complete dentures. Using a validated questionnaire, three investigators evaluated the dentures independently on the basis of seven clinical parameters: esthetics (lip support and lower lip line), retention and stability of the maxillary and the mandibular dentures, and occlusion. Patients completed the validated Oral Health Impact Profile-20 (OHIP-20) questionnaire. Correlations were determined by using the point-biserial correlation coefficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Clinicians rated the overall clinical quality of the dentures satisfactory in 80.3% of patients. The mean (±standard deviation) total OHIP-20 score was 56.3 ± 15.9 out of a possible 120 maximum. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the stability of the maxillary and mandibular dentures and the total OHIP-20 score (p = 0.009 and 0.0023, respectively). A negative correlation between the total OHIP-20 score and the retention of the mandibular denture approached significance (p = 0.092). Esthetics, retention of the maxillary denture, and occlusion were not correlated with patient quality of life (p > 0.169).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stability of the maxillary and mandibular dentures is the denture quality parameter that can most significantly affect patient quality of life.
authors.affiliation: College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sara A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Alfadda
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthetic Dental Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hayam A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Al-Fallaj
authors.affiliation: College of Dentistry, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hajar A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Al-Banyan
authors.affiliation: College of Dentistry, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ruba M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Al-Kadhi
keywords: Complete dentures; Quality of life