Influence of dental treatment on quality of life and self-esteem of hemodialysis-therapy patients

ABSTRACT

Background: Patients undergoing dialysis treatment have a worse quality of life and have higher rates of malnutrition, inflammation and hospitalization than the general population. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the influence of dental treatment on the quality of life and self-esteem of hemodialysis-therapy patients. Materials and Methods: An interventional study was developed with 27 patients undergoing hemodialysis in Diamantina, Brazil. Initially, patients received a clinical evaluation of a dentist and responded to questionnaires to estimate the quality of life (Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Questionnaire (SF-36) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) version 14) and self-esteem (Scale Self-Esteem of Rosenberg). After 45 days, the questionnaires were reapplied, and the patients received dental treatment to adapt the oral environment. After the treatment, 45 days were awaited to reapply the questionnaires. Descriptive analyzes were performed, Wilcoxon and Friedman tests were done. The level of significance was set at 5% (p <0.05). Results: Twenty-seven low-income and educated individuals participated in the study, most of whom were men. Hypertension and diabetes were not widely reported systemic diseases. There was statistical significance in SF-36 and OHIP-14 dimensions and improvement of self-esteem. Conclusion: Dental treatment interfered positively with the quality of life and self-esteem of patients undergoing hemodialysis.