Impact of oral health on the life quality of periodontal patients

Objectives: To assess the impact of oral health on the life quality of a periodontal patient group. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and five patients attending a private periodontal clinic completed a questionnaire incorporating the16-item UK oral health-related quality-of-life measure (OHQoL-UK(<(C)>)), a check list of questions about their periodontal health over the past year and a comprehensive periodontal examination. Results: The effect of oral health on quality of life was considerable, with many individuals experiencing negative impacts across a broad range of physical, social and psychological aspects of life quality. OHQoL-UK((C)) scores was associated with patient's self-reported periodontal health in the past year: experiences of swollen gums (p<0.01), sore gums (p<0.01), receding gums (p<0.01), loose teeth (p<0.01), drifting teeth (p<0.01), bad breath (p<0.01) and toothache (p<0.01). In addition, OHQoL-UK((C)) scores were correlated with the number of teeth with pocket depths of 5 mm or more (r(s)-0.42, p<0.01). New patients had poorer oral health-related quality of life compared with the treated maintenance group (p<0.01). Conclusions: Periodontal status impacts on life quality. This has implications in understanding the consequences of periodontal health and in the use of patient-centred outcomes in periodontal research.