A preventive care approach for oral health in nursing homes: a qualitative study of healthcare workers' experiences.

BACKGROUND: Oral health problems are common among care-dependent older adults living in nursing homes. Developing strategies to prevent the deterioration of oral health is therefore crucial to avoid pain and tooth loss. A standardized work widely used in nursing homes in Sweden is the quality register Senior Alert (SA), which assesses age-related risks concerning e.g. pressure sores, falls, malnutrition and oral health. The oral health assessment is performed with the Revised Oral Assessment Guide-Jönköping (ROAG-J), which also includes planning and implementation of preventive oral care interventions with the goal of achieving good quality care. However, what facilitates and hinders healthcare workers in working with oral health in SA remains unexplored. The aim of this study was to describe healthcare workers' experiences of assessing oral health with the ROAG-J, planning and performing preventive oral health care actions in accordance with SA in nursing homes. METHODS: Healthcare workers (n = 28) in nursing homes in two Swedish municipalities participated and data was collected through six focus group interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify patterns of meaning in the data. RESULTS: Themes generated in the analysis were: (1) A structured process promotes communication and awareness and stresses the importance of oral health; (2) Oral care for frail older adults is challenging and triggers ethical dilemmas; (3) Unclear responsibilities, roles and routines in the organization put oral health at risk; (4) Differences in experience and competence among healthcare staff call for educational efforts. CONCLUSIONS: The structured way of working increases staff awareness and prioritization of oral health in nursing homes. The main challenges for the healthcare workers were residents' reluctance to participate in oral care activities and oral care being more complicated since most older adults today are dentate. Organizational challenges lay in creating good routines and clarifying staff roles and responsibilities, which will require continuous staff training and increased management involvement.

Decisional needs for older adults, home health care nurses and dental hygienists during team-based oral health assessments in ordinary home settings - a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Participation by all actors involved in health planning is a prerequisite for person-centred care and healthy ageing. Understanding the multiple knowledge needs and the values that shape oral health assessments in home settings is important both to enable participation in oral health planning and to contribute to healthy ageing. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate decisional needs during oral health assessments in ordinary home settings from the perspectives of older adults, home health care nurses and dental hygienists. METHODS: Data was collected in ordinary home settings through 24 team-based oral assessments and 39 brief, semi-structured interviews including older adults (n = 24), home health care nurses (n = 8) and dental hygienists (n = 7). Data was analysed using content analysis with a deductive approach. The analysis was guided by the Ottawa Decision Support Guide. RESULTS: The analysis revealed that all participants considered participation in decision-making important but until now, older adults might not have participated in making decisions regarding oral health issues. The older adults considered participation important because the decisions had a strong impact on their lives, affecting their health. The professionals considered decision-making important for knowing what step to take next and to be able to follow up and evaluate previous goals and treatments. Organizational and personal barriers for shared decision-making among home health care nurses and dental hygienists were identified. Of the 24 older adults, 20 had different oral health conditions that objectively indicated the need for treatment. An initial important decision concerned whether the older adult wanted to make an appointment for dental care, and if so, how. Another decisional conflict concerned whether and how assisted oral care should be carried out. CONCLUSION: It is important for key participants in ordinary home settings to participate in interprofessional teams in home health care. To further anchor this in theory, conceptual models for professionals from different care organizations (municipal care, dental care) need to be developed that also involve older adults as participants. Future research could bridge theory and practice by including theories of learning while exploring interorganizational oral health planning in home settings.

Evaluation of the Oral Hygiene Ability Instrument (OHAI): Test of reliability.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the reliability of the new Oral Hygiene Ability Instrument (OHAI) developed to assess the cause of any inability for older adults to manage oral hygiene self-care. Oral hygiene is an important part of oral health. The inability to manage oral hygiene, combined with other risk factors, often results in poor oral health and impaired quality of life. A reliable OHAI could benefit preventive oral health care. METHODS: The preliminary OHAI uses 33 items in three parts: (I) interview, (II) clinical examination and (III) observation of oral hygiene activities. A total of 37 older adults participated in a test-retest study of Part I. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 65 years, have at least one tooth and be able to oral hygiene self-care. The intra- and inter-rater reliability of parts II and III used films and photographs of OHAI assessments of 15 different individuals. These films/photographs were assessed twice by four dental professionals who had participated in the OHAI data collection. For statistical analyses of the reliability, per cent agreement, Krippendorff's alpha and E. Svensson's method were used. RESULTS: The test-retest for Part I items showed acceptable-to-good agreement and no systematic disagreement. In Part II, two items showed somewhat limited reliability. Part III showed good intra- and inter-rater reliability. CONCLUSION: The OHAI items seem stable and reliable for the intended sample, and the instrument may be a valuable tool to identify older adults at risk of impaired oral health. However, two items may need to be reformulated.

Development of an instrument to assess oral hygiene ability in older adults: The oral hygiene ability instrument.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the development process of an instrument to assess the ability to manage daily oral hygiene and the cause of impaired oral hygiene. The instrument is initially aimed for use by the dental team in the ageing population. BACKGROUND: Oral hygiene is an important component of oral health. Inability to manage oral hygiene combined with other risk factors often results in poor oral health and impaired quality of life. METHODS: A guideline for instrument development was used during the construction of the instrument. The method included three phases: I. planning: the purpose and target group of the instrument were determined, and a literature review and qualitative focus-group study were conducted; II. construction: objectives were formulated, and a pool of items was built; and III. evaluation and validation, which included two pilot studies, interviews, item analyses and revision of the instrument. RESULTS: The planning and construction phases resulted in an instrument with 47 items comprising three parts: (a) interview, (b) clinical examination and (c) observation of activities of daily living (oral hygiene). After two pilot studies, the instrument was found to have good content validity. Analyses of qualitative and quantitative data resulted in a reduction in the number of items to 33. CONCLUSION: OHAI can be a valuable tool as a preventive method to identify older adults at risk of impaired oral health. However, the instrument needs further evaluation before wider use.

Evaluation of the Jönköping dental fear coping model: a patient perspective.

OBJECTIVE: This study is a part of a project with the aim to construct and evaluate a structured treatment model (the Jönköping Dental Fear Coping Model, DFCM) for the treatment of dental patients. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the DFCM from a patient perspective. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was performed at four Public Dental Clinics, with the same 13 dentists and 14 dental hygienists participating in two treatment periods. In Period I, 1351 patients were included and in Period II, 1417. Standard care was used in Period I, and in Period II the professionals had been trained in and worked according to the DFCM. In the evaluation, the outcome measures were self-rated discomfort, pain and tension, and satisfaction with the professionals. RESULTS: In comparison with standard care, less tension was reported among patients treated according to the DFCM, (p = .041), which was also found among female patients in a subgroup analysis (p = .028). Additional subgroup analyses revealed that patients expecting dental treatment (as opposed to examination only) reported less discomfort (p = .033), pain (p = .016) and tension (p = .012) in Period II than in Period I. Patients with low to moderate dental fear reported less pain in Period II than in Period I (p = .014). CONCLUSIONS: The DFCM has several positive effects on adult patients in routine dental care. In a Swedish context, the differences between standard care and treatment according to the model were small but, in part, statistically significant. However, it is important to evaluate the model in further studies to allow generalization to other settings.

Saliva on the oral mucosa and whole saliva in women diagnosed with burning mouth syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to examine mucosal saliva and unstimulated (UWS) and stimulated (SWS) whole saliva secretion rates and associated factors, in 56 female patients diagnosed with BMS and age-matched control women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Mucosal saliva was assessed using the Periotron® method and blood flow using laser Doppler flowmetry. Diseases, drug usage and xerostomia were registered using questionnaires. RESULTS: The patients with BMS displayed less lingual and whole saliva, and more hyposalivation, xerostomia diseases/disorders and drug usage, compared to the controls. Only a low SWS and xerostomia differed after adjusting for drugs and systemic diseases. Regression analyses suggested an importance of saliva affecting drugs for saliva on the tongue and for SWS, and the total number of drugs used for UWS. Lingual saliva and UWS were also associated with systemic diseases in the patients. Xerostomia was significantly associated with drug use and whole saliva for all subjects but not in separate analyses of the groups. CONCLUSION: Less saliva in patients with BMS could be related to more systemic diseases and medication and not to the syndrome per se. Xerostomia in the patients was not related to any of these factors.

Clinical characterization of women with burning mouth syndrome in a case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic orofacial pain disorder that is defined by a burning sensation in the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying factors, clinical characteristics and self-reported oral and general health factors associated with BMS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-six women with BMS (mean age: 67.7) and their age-matched controls were included in the study. A general questionnaire, an OHRQL index and BMS-specific questionnaires were used. Each subject underwent an oral examination. RESULTS: The mean severity of the BMS symptoms (VAS, 0-100) was 66.2 (SD 19.7). Overall, 45% of the patients reported taste disturbances. More of the patients than the controls rated their general health, oral health and life situation as 'less satisfactory'. The patients also reported more frequently on-going medications, diseases/disorders, xerostomia, allergy and skin diseases. Except for more bruxofacets among the patients, there were no significant differences regarding signs of parafunction. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, xerostomia and skin diseases showed the strongest prediction for BMS and no significant effect was found for medication, allergy or bruxofacets. CONCLUSIONS: Skin diseases and xerostomia but not parafunction were strongly associated with BMS. Our findings provide the basis for additional studies to elucidate the causal factors of BMS.

Development and evaluation of the Jönköping Dental Fear Coping Model: a health professional perspective.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to design a structured treatment model focusing on all levels of adult's dental fear, the Jönköping Dental Fear Coping Model (DFCM). The aim was to study the DFCM from a dental health professional perspective. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The DFCM was studied by means of quantitative and qualitative analyses. Nine dental clinics participated in Period I (pre-intervention/standard care), and 133 dental health professionals (dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants) and 3088 patients were included. After completion of Period I, four of the clinics were randomized to Period II (intervention), beginning with the professionals undergoing DFCM training. Following that, 51 dental health professionals treated 1417 patients according to the DFCM. The other five clinics served as controls. RESULTS: Half or more of the dental health professionals assessed the model as better than standard care, regarding anamnesis and diagnostics, communication and contact, and understanding of patients and dental fear. The dental health professionals reported higher tension in their fearful patients in Period II compared with Period I, possibly due to their increased awareness of dental fear. CONCLUSIONS: The qualitative data suggest that dental health professionals find the DFCM beneficial in routine dental care. The model promotes a holistic approach to the treatment of adult patients. However, stress among the professionals was not reduced when measured, neither quantitatively nor qualitatively. It is important to evaluate the model in further studies to make it possible to draw generalizable conclusions.

Sedation with orally administered midazolam in elderly dental patients with major neurocognitive disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate acceptance of treatment after oral sedation with midazolam in dental patients with major neurocognitive disorder. BACKGROUND: Midazolam is commonly used as premedication in paediatric dentistry, oral surgery and people suffering from dental fear. Little is known about its use in other patient groups. METHODS: Dental and sedation records of 61 patients (64% women) sedated with midazolam were examined retrospectively. All records came from patients with major neurocognitive disorder who had been referred to a special dental care unit in Sweden due to uncooperative behaviour and sedated with orally administered midazolam between 2006 and 2011. Data concerning dose, degree of acceptance of dental treatment (four-point scale) and number of possible interacting drugs were collected from dental records. RESULTS: On average, the participants were 80 years old (range: 62-93) and used 3.4 possible interacting drugs. The average midazolam dose was 0.11 mg/kg body weight, which is in line with the regional medical guidelines for sedation. Twenty-seven participants (44%) had no cooperation problems when sedated, twenty-six (43%) were treated with minor adaptations, five had poor cooperation, and three were not possible to treat. No statistically significant differences were found for degree of acceptance of treatment and dose or number of possible interacting drugs. Antiepileptics were used by 13% (n=7) with good or quite good acceptance compared to 37% (n=3) among those with poor or no acceptance. Unfavourable side effects were rare; one participant became hyperactive and one drowsier than expected. CONCLUSION: Sedation with orally administered midazolam seems to be effective and safe in dental treatment of uncooperative persons with major neurocognitive disorder.

Native-born versus foreign-born patients' perception of communication and care in Swedish dental service.

Like many other countries Sweden is becoming more multicultural and many residents do not fully master the national language and are not completely familiar with national norms and habits. The key to good interaction between dentists and patients is communication. Therefore this study aimed to examine whether there are differences in the experience of communication and care between native-born (NB) and foreign-born (FB) patients in the Swedish Public Dental Service (PDS). Consecutive patients at four PDS clinics in a major Swedish city (Gothenburg) were asked to complete the Dental Visit Satisfaction Scale (DVSS), eight additional items concerning communication and care, and a questionnaire eliciting background information.The questionnaires were available in English, Swedish, Arabic and Farsi. The response rate was 74% (204 patients, mean age: 42 years, range 18-86). Of the participants, 96 (47%) were NB and 108 (53%) were FB; 80 (40%) were men and 121 (60%) women. The NB group was significantly older, had higher education and more regular dental care habits, and reported higher dental fear than the FB group. Fewer FB than NB patients thought the dentist treated them in the same manner as he or she would treat other patients and this applied particularly to those who had lived in Sweden for more than 5 years. FB patients were as satisfied with the information and communication they received from the dentist as those born in Sweden, but they were more sceptical about the dentist's technical competence. The differences between the two groups were otherwise smaller than might have been expected in view of probable language difficulties and differences in dental care background.

On the dynamics of dental fear: dental or mental?

This study explored possible predictors of change over time in dental fear. In a population-based sample of 664 women, 38-54 yr of age at first assessment, a self-rating of dental fear was recorded on two occasions, 6 yr apart. Whilst the majority of the women maintained their level of fear, two subgroups reported changes at follow up. Of the 99 subjects indicating high fear at baseline, 54 recorded no or minimal fear at follow up and, among the 565 recording minimal fear at baseline, 27 reported increased fear at follow up. We used psychological and odontological findings at baseline to compare the four subgroups with altered or maintained fear ratings at follow up. The women reporting reduced fear at follow up differed significantly in the psychological variables from those reporting unchanged fear; there were no significant differences between these groups in any of the odontological variables. The group indicating increased fear at follow up did not differ from those with a maintained fearlessness in any of the baseline measurements. The results are discussed in terms of a systems-oriented understanding of the development of dental fear.

Dentists' skills with fearful patients: education and treatment.

The aims were to explore dentists' skills in dental fear, current strategies when treating fearful adult patients, and the possible need for additional education among dentists working in Sweden. A sample of 1,293 members of the Association of Public Health Dentists in Sweden were asked to respond to a Web survey concerning dental fear. The response rate was 69% (n = 889); 91% trained in Sweden and 9% trained in another country. The most frequently used pharmacological anxiety-reducing techniques were medication with a midazolame mixture (72%) and benzodiazepine tablets (77%), and the most commonly used psychological techniques were relaxation (68%), distraction (66%), and Tell-Show-Do (86%). A larger proportion of dentists trained in Sweden, compared with dentists who were trained in other countries, reported that they had received undergraduate training in dental fear. Dentists trained in Sweden more often reported competence in pharmacological and psychological anxiety-reducing techniques, compared with dentists who were trained in other countries. Higher levels of self-rated efficacy in treating fearful patients accompanied additional education in dental fear after graduation. In conclusion, Swedish dentists use a variety of techniques to meet the needs of fearful dental patients. Competence in anxiety-reducing techniques is associated with self-efficacy and the site of education.

A dental phobia treatment within the Swedish National Health Insurance.

Severe dental fear/phobia (DF) is a problem for both dental care providers and for patients who often suffer from impaired oral health and from social and emotional distress.The aim of this paper was to present the Swedish model for DF treatment within the National Health Insurance System, and to describe the dental phobia treatment and its outcome at The Dental Fear Research and Treatment Clinic (DFRTC) in Gothenburg. A literature review was made of relevant policy documents on dental phobia treatment from the National Health Insurance System and for Västra Götaland region on published outcome studies from DFRTC. The treatment manual of DFRTC was also used. In Sweden, adult patients with severe DF are able to undergo behavioral treatment within the National Health Insurance System if the patient and caregivers fulfil defined criteria that must be approved for each individual case. At DFRTC dental phobia behavioral treatment is given by psychologists and dentists in an integrated model. The goal is to refer patients for general dental care outside the DFRTC after completing treatment. The DF treatment at DFRTC has shown positive effects on dental fear, attendance and acceptance of dental treatment for 80% of patients. Follow-up after 2 and 10 years confirmed these results and showed improved oral health. In addition, positive psychosomatic and psychosocial side-effects were reported, and benefits also for society were evident in terms of reduced sick-leave. In conlusion, in Sweden a model has been developed within the National Health Insurance System helping individuals with DF. Behavioral treatment conducted at DFRTC has proven successful in helping patients cope with dental care, leading to regular attendance and better oral health.

Dentists' views on fearful patients. Problems and promises.

UNLABELLED: A large number of patients treated in the general dental health service in Western countries report dental fear to some degree. Dentists' views of treating these fearful patients are not well described in the literature.Therefore, the aims of the study were to explore dentists' attitudes towards, experience of, and feelings about treating fearful patients. The sample consisted of 1293 members of the Association of Public Health Dentists in Sweden who were asked to respond to a web survey concerning dental fear. The response rate was 69% (n = 889).The majority of the responding dentists stated that dental fear is a problem in routine dental care,treating patients with dental fear is a positive challenge and they felt they were making a contribution.They also reported that treating patients with dental fear is associated with hard work, poor revenues, and little appreciation by employers. Female dentists reported a greater proportion of patients with dental fear and greater self-efficacy regarding the treatment of these patients, compared with their male colleagues. Dentists trained in other EU countries reported stress more often and less perceived contribution when treating fearful patients, compared with colleagues trained in Sweden. CONCLUSION: Dentists' views of treating fearful patients are mainly positive; however, it is problematic that dentists feel stress and that dentists who treat many fearful patients feel their employers do not appreciate their efforts.

Aspects of Expansive Learning in the Context of Healthy Ageing-A Formative Intervention between Dental Care and Municipal Healthcare.

There are great risks of diseases in the ageing population, and oral diseases are no exception. Poor oral health has profound negative impacts on the quality of life. It is therefore crucial to include the oral health perspective in the care for older adults. To meet the challenges associated with oral health in the ageing population, a formative intervention was launched. The intervention, called the TAIK project (="Dental hygienist in a municipality organization", in Swedish: Tandhygienist i kommunal verksamhet), meant that six dental hygienists served non-clinically as oral health consultants in five Swedish municipal organizations. The intervention formed an infrastructure and platform for work that benefits the ageing population and created a new basis for decisions regarding oral health in homecare. The aim of this paper is to explore how aspects of collaboration in an interprofessional and interorganizational intervention may lead to expansive learning. Expansive learning forms the theoretical framework of this study. The dental hygienists and the local head nurses were interviewed individually in-depth. Reflection documents from the dental hygienists were also part of the analyzed data. The conclusion is that the formative intervention was reliant of change which created a foundation for reciprocal understanding that led to expansive learning between dental care and municipal healthcare, with resilience and empowerment as crucial factors.

Oral Care Cards as a Support in Daily Oral Care of Frail Older Adults: Experiences and Perceptions of Professionals in Nursing and Dental Care-A Qualitative Study.

Frail older adults often have poor oral health. In Sweden, oral care cards are designed to be used as an interprofessional tool for documenting the oral health status of older adults with extensive care needs and to describe oral care recommendations. The aim of this study was to explore nursing and dental professionals' experiences and perceptions of oral care cards. Nursing and dental care staff were interviewed in groups or individually. The recorded data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. A theme emerged: Navigating an oral care responsibility that is not anchored in the nursing and dental care context. The theme was elucidated in three categories: "Accessibility and usefulness", "Coordination between nursing and dental care", and "Ethical approach". The participants perceived a lack of surrounding frameworks and collaboration concerning oral care and the use of oral care cards. An oral care card could ideally facilitate interprofessional and person-centered oral care. However, oral health does not seem to have found its place in the nursing care context. Further research is needed to investigate how oral care cards ought to be developed and designed to support oral health care work.

Oral Assessment and Preventive Actions within the Swedish Quality Register Senior Alert: Impact on Frail Older Adults' Oral Health in a Longitudinal Perspective.

Poor oral health is common among older people in nursing homes. To identify and prevent oral health problems among the residents, ROAG-J (Revised Oral Assessment Guide-Jönköping), a risk-assessment instrument, is used by nursing staff routinely, and the outcome is registered in the web-based Swedish quality register Senior Alert. This study aims to investigate the preventive actions registered when oral health problems are identified and the effect of these actions longitudinally. ROAG-J data registered at nursing homes in Sweden during 2011-2016 were obtained from the Senior Alert database. Out of 52,740 residents (≥65 years), 41% had oral health problems, of whom 62% had preventive actions registered. The most common action was "Assistance with cleaning teeth". Longitudinally, during the five-year observation period, a slight increase in oral health problems assessed with ROAG-J was found. Registered preventive actions, however, led to significant improvement in the subsequent assessment for the ROAG items lips, tongue, and dentures. Standardised risk assessments like ROAG-J provide an opportunity to detect problems early and establish preventive actions. The study, however, indicates a further need for structured education and a continuous follow-up in ROAG-J. Moreover, increased collaboration between nursing and dental care to improve oral health for older residents at nursing homes is needed.

Differences in personality, perceived stress and physical activity in women with burning mouth syndrome compared to controls.

OBJECTIVES: Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a long-lasting pain condition which is commonly associated with anxiety symptoms and experience of adverse, stressful life events have been reported by those diagnosed with the syndrome. Stress-related biomarkers have been related to personality traits in BMS and a personality with high stress susceptibility and perceived stress may be of importance. Although biopsychosocial approaches are suggested to manage long-lasting orofacial pain, to date little is known about physical activity in women with BMS. The aim of this study was to investigate if personality, perceived stress and physical activity distinguish women with BMS from controls. METHODS: Fifty-six women with BMS and 56 controls matched on age and gender completed Swedish universities Scales of Personality (SSP), Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) and a general questionnaire with an item on weekly physical activity frequency. In addition, health-related quality of life was explored by additional questionnaires and reported in a companion article (Jedel et al. Scand J Pain. 2020. PubMed PMID: 32853174). RESULTS: SSP subscales Somatic Trait Anxiety, Psychic Trait Anxiety, Stress Susceptibility and Verbal Trait Aggression differed between women with BMS and controls and the personality factor scores for Neuroticism and Aggressiveness were higher. Perceived stress measured by PSQ index was higher for women with BMS compared to controls. Women with BMS reported lower physical activity frequency compared to controls and those reporting physical activity <4 days/week scored higher on PSQ compared to those with weekly physical activity ≥4 days/week. CONCLUSIONS: Personality distinguished women with BMS from controls in this study. Perceived stress was higher and weekly physical activity was lower in women with BMS compared to controls. Our findings suggest physical activity should be more comprehensively measured in future BMS studies and, by extension, physical activity may be a treatment option for women with BMS. Pain management aiming to restore function and mobility with stress reduction should be considered in clinical decision making for women with BMS who have a personality with stress susceptibility, especially if reporting high perceived stress and insufficient physical activity.

Oral health among older adults in nursing homes: A survey in a national quality register, the Senior Alert.

AIM: To investigate the extent to which the Revised Oral Assessment Guide-Jönköping (ROAG-J) is used by nursing staff routinely in nursing homes in Sweden and to describe oral health status of the residents. DESIGN: An observational, retrospective register-based study. METHODS: Data from different validated health assessments instruments, including ROAG-J, for the period 2011-2016 were obtained from the Web-based national quality register Senior Alert. The basis for the analyses was 190,016 assessments. RESULTS: About half of all residents had underwent at least one annual ROAG-J assessment (2014-2016). During the period 2011-2016, 42% of the residents (n = 92,827) were registered to have oral health problems. Significantly more oral health problems were found for men and for those with younger age, poorer physical condition, neurophysiological problems, underweight, impaired mobility and many medications. In conclusion, poorer oral health was found for more care-dependent individuals, which shows a need of preventive actions.

Health-related quality of life in burning mouth syndrome - a case-control study.

Objectives The cardinal symptom of burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is long-lasting pain and comprehensive health-related quality of life (HRQL) assessments may estimate how well patients with BMS live in relation to their health issues. The aims of the study were to explore general and BMS-specific HRQL based on an HRQL model and to compare HRQL in patients with BMS and age-matched controls. Methods For this case-control study 56 female patients with BMS and 56 female controls completed the following: A general questionnaire with Global items for life satisfaction, general health and oral health; General Population-Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (GP-CORE); Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Patients with BMS completed additional questionnaires which included BMS-problem severity, a global item for ratings of overall severity perceptions measured by visual analog scale (VAS); and BMS-modified Multidimensional Pain Inventory-Swedish version (MPI-S). BMS-modified MPI-S includes the three subscales Pain severity, Interference and Social support. Results Patients with BMS scored worse on all global items, GP-CORE, HADS and OHIP-14 compared to controls and the differences were large. Patients with severe BMS problems, as defined by a median split on BMS-problem severity, scored worse on the BMS-modified MPI-S subscale Pain severity and the difference was large. Conclusions We found clearly impaired general HRQL in patients with BMS compared to controls. For specific HRQL, the severity of pain was worse among patients with higher overall BMS-problem severity. The HRQL model with global ratings together with physical, psychological and social concepts has capacity to increase comparability and validity of studies, however further evaluations of the measures are needed. The HRQL model may be used over time to increase the understanding of different HRQL aspects and their internal relationships. In clinical settings, with an increased knowledge of one´s own distinctive quality of life abilities and restrictions, the patients with BMS can be guided and supported to manage their long-lasting pain. The HRQL model may be an aid toward bridging distinctions between general and oral health to further encourage collaboration between medicine and odontology.