Assessment of the oral health related quality of life of patients awaiting initial prosthetic assessment

The aim of the study was to quantify the impact of oral health problems on the quality of life of patients who were experiencing difficulties with dentures. Two hundred and ten patients who were awaiting an initial specialist assessment appointment were asked to complete the short form Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). One hundred and sixty three (78%) questionnaires were completed correctly and were analyzed. Overall, the prevalence of impacts was high in all sub-scales, indicating that denture related problems had a negative impact on quality of life of both partially dentate and elderly patients.