Oral health-related quality-of-life in patients to be treated with fixed or removable partial dental prostheses

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this study were to measure and describe the Oral Health-Related Quality-of-Life (OHRQoL) in a population about to receive removable dental prostheses (RDP) or fixed dental prostheses (FDP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Oral Health Impact Profile 49 (OHIP-49) was completed by 410 patients about to receive treatment with either RDP or FDP. Objective variables were: gender, age, number of teeth, type of replacement planned (FDP/RDP) and location (one jaw or both) and zone (aesthetic/masticatory/both) of missing teeth to be replaced.

RESULTS

Women had a worse OHRQoL than men in the RDP group. Higher age was significantly correlated with a better OHRQoL independent of treatment modality. Participants about to receive FDP in one jaw in the masticatory zone only had a better OHRQoL than RDP participants in the same group. The most frequently reported problems in all groups concerned functional limitations, discomfort and physical disabilities. Little variance in reported items was seen between the sub-groups and social handicap was not frequently reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The difference in OHRQoL between participants about to receive RDP and FDP was limited. The most frequently reported problems concerned functional limitations, discomfort and physical disabilities. Social handicap was not frequently reported.

Clinical research in implant dentistry: evaluation of implant-supported restorations, aesthetic and patient-reported outcomes

The articles discussed in working group 3 dealt with specific aspects of clinical research. In this context, the literature reporting on survival and complication rates of implant-supported or implant-tooth supported restorations in longitudinal studies of at least 5 years were discussed. The second aspect dealt with the evaluation of aesthetic outcomes in clinical studies and the related index systems available. Finally, the third aspect discussed dealt with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). A detailed appraisal of the available methodology was presented.

The Mandarin Chinese shortened version of Oral Health Impact Profile for partially edentate patients with implant-supported prostheses

This study was to validate a mandarin Chinese version of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-49) in China and to develop a shortened version of OHIP appropriate for use in partially dentate patients with implant-supported prostheses. The original 49 items of OHIP were translated into mandarin Chinese using a forward-backward method and administered to 580 subjects selected by stratified random sampling. Self-perceived oral health status and treatment need were also collected. Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of OHIP (OHIP-C49) were validated. A shortened version (OHIP-I) was derived from the OHIP-C49 by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) as well as expert-based approach in partially dentate patients (n=102) with implant-supported prostheses. For validation of the new modified shortened version, another independent sample of 97 partially dentate patients completed OHIP-I and their self-perceived oral health status at baseline and at least 3 months after dental implant rehabilitation. Five hundred and thirty-seven effectual questionnaires were reclaimed from the 580 subjects interviewed. Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.78 to 0.96 and test-retest correlation coefficients ranged from 0.84 to 0.97 for subscale and summary scores. Construct validity was demonstrated by priori hypothesised associations between the OHIP-C49 scores and self-perceived oral health (P<0.001). The reliability and validity of OHIP-I were similar to which of the OHIP-C49, and the responsiveness appeared able to measure the effect of dental implant therapy effectively. The mandarin version of OHIP-49 showed sufficient psychometric properties for Chinese. The modified shortened version (OHIP-I) may be appropriate for the evaluation of implant therapy outcomes in partially dentate Chinese patients.

A comparative study to evaluate the effect of two different abutment designs on soft tissue healing and stability of mucosal margins

AIM

To evaluate the effect of two different abutment designs on soft tissue healing and the stability of the mucosal margin in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty-nine subjects received two, non-adjacent endosseous implants in the esthetic zone. Subsequently, conventional (control) and curved abutments (experimental) were placed in combination with a temporary restoration (left-right randomization). Plaster models of the healed sites were made to assess the stability of the soft tissues at baseline and after 6 weeks. To measure deseating force, a dontrix gauge was used while removing the abutments after 6 weeks.

RESULTS

Although visually, differences in the transmucosal area were observed, the differences in marginal recession and in deseating force between abutments from the experimental and the control group never reached a statistically significant level. In general, some gain in soft tissue height was seen in both groups. Angled abutments elicited recession at all buccal sites (P = 0.003-0.02).

CONCLUSION

Abutments with a circumferential groove do not lead to a different response of the mucosal margin compared with a regular abutment, and are no more resistant upon removal than regular abutments after 6 weeks of function.