Impact of the severity of chronic periodontal disease on quality of life.

We examined the impact of the severity of periodontal disease on quality of life in adults with chronic periodontitis. One hundred patients (age, 30-58 years) who were assisted at the Basic Health Care Unit in the city of Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil underwent clinical examination of all standing teeth, including gingival bleeding on probing, probing depth, and clinical attachment level, and were divided into those with mild/moderate (n = 49; group G1) and severe (n = 51; group G2) chronic periodontitis. The participants were then interviewed, using a structured questionnaire. The Brazilian Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14Br) questionnaire was used to assess oral health-related quality of life. Associations were investigated, and those with a P value of less than 0.2 were tested using multiple logistic regression models. Those with a P value of 0.05 or less were considered significant. There was a significant association between G2 and education level (P = 0.00051). OHIP-14Br score was higher for G2 (24.1) than for G1 (18.2) (P = 0.0455). Severe chronic periodontitis was associated with low education level (≤8 years) (odds ratio [OR], 3.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-7.3) and pronunciation difficulties (OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.0-9.3). In conclusion, periodontal disease severity was inversely associated with quality of life among Brazilian adults.

Fluoxetine reduces periodontal disease progression in a conditioned fear stress model in rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recent evidence suggests that the use of fluoxetine could reduce periodontal disease severity. However, the effect of fluoxetine on periodontal disease has not been tested in the context of conditioned fear stress (CFS). We hypothesized that inhibition of chronic stress by fluoxetine might decrease the levels of bone loss in periodontal disease. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of fluoxetine on bone loss in chronic periodontitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fourteen Wistar rats were submitted to ligature-induced periodontal disease and divided into four groups (A-D). Groups A (n = 3) and B (n = 4) were not stressed, while Groups C (n = 3) and D (n = 4) were submitted to a CFS paradigm for 38 d. Daily fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) was administered to Groups B and D from day 20 to day 39, at which point the rats were submitted to an open field test and killed on day 40. Mandibles were removed for histological and immunohistochemical analyses. RESULTS: Stress was associated with a higher level of bone loss in Group C compared with Group A. Additionally, no differences in bone loss were observed among Groups A, B and D. CONCLUSION: We showed that stress is associated with the progression of bone loss in a CFS model in rats and that fluoxetine treatment reduces the bone loss.

Changes in masticatory performance and quality of life in individuals with chronic periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluates the effect of periodontitis on masticatory performance and quality of life index. METHODS: Patients (n = 24; 23 to 76 years of age) with periodontal conditions ranging from healthy to generalized disease categorized by the alveolar bone height-to-tooth length (AB/T) ratio were separated into the following two groups: control (AB/T >50%) and test (AB/T <50%). The masticatory performance was evaluated through continuous mastication of a special device called a biocapsule. The Brazilian Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14Br) questionnaire was used to assess the oral health-related quality of life. The Student t test was applied for independent samples (P <0.05) to evaluate the masticatory performance, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine quality of life (P <0.05). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in masticatory efficiency between groups (P = 0.006). Statistically significant differences were also observed in the following parameters: 1) physical pain (P = 0.003); 2) psychologic discomfort (P = 0.008); 3) physical disability (P = 0.033); and 4) OHIP-14Br total score (P = 0.001). The control group achieved the best indicators. Both the masticatory performance and quality of life indicators showed significant correlation with the alveolar bone height. CONCLUSION: The loss of periodontal supporting structures has negative effects on the masticatory performance and quality of life.

Treatment of chronic periodontitis and its impact on mastication.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study is to assess the impact of conventional periodontal treatment of chronic periodontitis on the perception of mastication. METHODS: The patients (n = 28; age range: 23 to 56 years, mean age: 37.9 years) were evaluated on two occasions (before and after treatment) with a 45-day interval using the Oral Impact on Daily Performance questionnaire. An electromyography system was used for the determination of activity in muscles of mastication and bite force. Masticatory performance was assessed using a test material. The median particle size of the masticated material was determined using a sieve method and the Rosin-Rammler equation. The clinical criteria were the number of teeth and probing depth, both determined by a single calibrated observer masked to the treatment phase. The data were analyzed in the pretreatment and post-treatment periods using Wilcoxon test; Spearman correlation coefficient; and two multiple linear regression models (backward stepwise procedure). RESULTS: There was a significant negative correlation between the number of teeth (number of mastication units) and difficulty eating (P <0.05) before and after treatment. Probing depth had a positive relationship with the total Oral Impact on Daily Performance score before treatment (P <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The subjective perception of the impact of oral health on mastication diminished after periodontal treatment. The number of teeth had considerable importance in the perception of impact on mastication in the sample studied.

Impact of periodontal disease on quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of periodontal disease on quality of life using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) 14, simplified version. METHOD AND MATERIALS: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving a convenience sample of 401 patients of both sexes aged 19 to 71 years. After diagnoses of periodontal condition, the patients voluntarily completed a form to collect the OHIP-14, as well as socioeconomic and demographic data. RESULTS: Chronic periodontitis was the most prevalent, affecting 227 patients (56.7%). With regard to the impact of periodontal disease on quality of life, functional limitation was the predominant item, affecting 91.5% of the sample. The patients with aggressive periodontitis achieved the highest impact scores. The highest scores on the OHIP-14 index were those of patients with a diagnosis of chronic or aggressive periodontitis. OHIP-14 scores were associated with sex, age, and income (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Functional limitation was the most affected dimension, and impact was significantly associated with age, income, and a diagnosis of periodontal disease.