Oral health-related quality of life among institutionalized patients after dental rehabilitation.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to determine the changes in oral health-related quality of life before and 3 months after dental rehabilitation among geriatric patients residing in a state-owned nursing home, using the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI).

METHODS

Data from 40 patients were collected through the administration of a structured questionnaire, as well as from medical records and intraoral examinations. Sociodemographic and behavioral variables, and denture use/length of use were recorded. The GOHAI questionnaire was completed before and 3 months after dental rehabilitation by the same examiner. Normality of the GOHAI scores was examined with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ancova and ancova (P < 0.05).

RESULTS

The study sample included 32 men (80%) and eight women (20%) with a mean age of 72.75 years. Mean GOHAI scores increased from 41.275 (low) to 53.100 (moderate) 3 months after dental rehabilitation (t = 1.42, P < 0.001, r = 0.86). Patients with poor oral hygiene (P = 0.000), those who had been using dentures (P = 0.000) and patients younger than 70 years-of-age (P = 0.03) provided higher GOHAI scores after dental rehabilitation. GOHAI scores before and after dental rehabilitation were not influenced by sociodemographic and behavioral variables (P > 0.05). The after treatment GOHAI scores, which were corrected according to gender and age, showed no significant differences regarding the education level, income, behavioral variables, use of dentures, oral hygiene status and presence of systemic diseases (F = 0.62, P = 0.69).

CONCLUSIONS

Dental rehabilitation of institutionalized geriatric patients resulted in a significant improvement in GOHAI scores, indicating an improvement in oral health-related quality of life after receiving proper dental care.