title: Oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) following third molar surgery in Sub-Saharan Africans: an observational study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgical extraction of the impacted third molar is one of the commonest minor oral surgical procedures carried out in oral surgery. Problems created by the disturbances in post-extraction wound healing and physiologic sequelae of third molar surgery can significantly affect the patient's quality of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 135 subjects that required surgical extraction of mandibular third molar under local anesthesia and met the inclusion criteria. Patients were assessed pre-operatively and post-operatively on days 1,3,5,7, and 14 using the United Kingdom Oral Health related Quality of Life questionnaire (UK-OHRQoL).
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study also showed that surgical removal of impacted teeth exerted a negative influence on patient's Quality of life (QoL) across various physical, social, psychological aspects of life. UK-OHRQoL-16 mean scores showed that severe difficulty in eating was experienced by 106 (78%) patients on postoperative day (POD) 1. The symptom however improved within the first week with only 16 (11.9%) experiencing this symptom by POD 7 and none by POD 14.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a deterioration in oral health related quality of life in the immediate postoperative period particularly POD 1 and 3 following third molar surgery, which slowly returned to preoperative level by 7th day. Routines such as eating, laughing and smiling, work and speech were also affected. Patients need to be informed of these symptoms after third molar removal so as to enable them prepare very well for the procedure and its sequelae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, Usmanu Danfodio University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ramat Oyebunmi
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Braimah
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Kizito Chioma
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Ndukwe
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Foluso John
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Owotade
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Stephen Babatunde
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Aregbesola
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D000772:Anesthesia, Local / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D009909:Oral Health; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D014095:Tooth, Impacted / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Eating; oral health; physical; psychological; quality of life; social; surgicalextraction; symptom; third molar surgery