title: Impact of oral rehabilitation on patients with head and neck cancer: A study using the Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The treatment of oral cancers affects oral functions and quality of life (QOL). Dental rehabilitation is a major step toward enhancing quality of life after controlling the disease. The effects of the disease, treatment, and rehabilitation need to be evaluated to assess oral health-related QOL. The Liverpool Oral Rehabilitation Questionnaire version 3 (LORQv3) and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) are specific assessment questionnaires of oral rehabilitation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of oral rehabilitation on patients with head and neck cancer by using the LORQv3 and OHIP-14 questionnaires and to discover and document specific patient-derived problems related to the issues of oral rehabilitation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The LORQv3 and OHIP-14 questionnaires were administered to 60 participants with oral cancer, who were in need of oral rehabilitation. They were asked to rate their dental problems on a Likert scale before fabrication of their prostheses (baseline) and at the 3-month follow-up visit after prosthetic rehabilitation. Paired comparison was done using the Wilcoxon signed rank test according to the distribution, and Cronbach alpha was used to assess internal consistency. Subscale scores were determined by mean value (α=.05).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the LORQv3 questionnaire, a 10% to 27% improvement was found in the domain of oral function, and a 20% improvement in orofacial appearance, with improvement in patient satisfaction with the prosthesis. Using the OHIP-14 questionnaire, a 45% to 67% improvement was generally seen in all domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After assessment using the LORQv3 and OHIP-14 questionnaires, prosthetic rehabilitation was seen to contribute to the betterment of patients with head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Dental and Prosthetic Surgery, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India. Electronic address: kdholam@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Kanchan P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Dholam
authors.affiliation: Research Fellow, Department of Dental and Prosthetic Surgery, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Jinesh A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Dugad
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Dental and Prosthetic Surgery, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: Karthik M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sadashiva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009065:Mouth Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D009909:Oral Health; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult