Psychological status of TMD patients, orthodontic patients and the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Confronting the outbreak of COVID-19, this cross-sectional study was aimed to assess psychological status of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) patients, orthodontic patients and the general population in China during the pandemic. An online anonymous questionnaire was developed in Chinese, including the individual background information, the perception of the epidemic, and level of anxiety and depression through Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). The respondents were divided into ORTHO group, TMD group and Control group. Descriptive analysis and multiple linear regression modelling were performed. In total, 1241 valid questionnaires were collected, covering 587 orthodontic patients and 220 TMD patients. It is shown that the overall mental health is not quite optimistic during the COVID-19 pandemic with the mean score of K10 being 18.65. TMD patients have higher level of anxiety and depression than orthodontic patients as well as the general population. Younger age, female gender, having close contact with individuals from Hubei province, higher self-rated infection possibility, concern about psychological barriers and distrust are negatively affecting patients' psychological status. Mental health care should be emphasized when hospitals and clinics reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially to patients with these relevant characteristics.

The impact of oral health on the quality of life of nursing home residents.

BACKGROUND: Good oral health in older residents of nursing homes is important for general health and quality of life. Very few studies have assessed how oral symptoms affect residents' quality of life. OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical and subjective oral health, including oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL), and the association of oral symptoms with OHRQoL in older people residing in nursing homes in Islington, London. METHOD: Overall, 325 residents from nine nursing homes were clinically examined and 180 residents were interviewed to assess their oral symptoms and their OHRQoL using the OIDP measure. Managers and carers working in the homes were also interviewed. RESULTS: Almost two thirds of the sample were dentate (64.5%). 61.3% of dentate and 50.9% of edentate residents reported problems such as dry mouth, sore cracked lips, broken teeth and toothache and ill-fitting dentures. Oral health impacted considerably upon resident's OHRQoL; 20.2% of dentate and 30.9% of edentate reported at least one oral impact in the past 6 months. Sensitive teeth, toothache, bleeding gums, dry mouth and loose natural teeth among the dentate and loose or ill-fitting dentures among the edentate were strongly associated with higher prevalence of oral impacts even after adjusting for demographic and socio-economic factors, and for the number of teeth (dentate only). CONCLUSION: The burden of oral conditions was considerable. Oral symptoms were very common and were strongly associated with residents' worse OHRQoL. Health promotion programmes are important to help residents maintain an acceptable level of oral health and function.

Are Stage of Change constructs relevant for subjective oral health in a vulnerable population?

UNLABELLED: Stage of Change constructs may be proxy markers of psychosocial health which, in turn, are related to oral health. OBJECTIVE: To determine if Stage of Change constructs were associated with subjective oral health in a population at heightened risk of dental disease. METHODS: Stage of Change constructs were developed from a validated 18-item scale and categorised into 'Pre-contemplative', 'Contemplative' and 'Active'. A convenience sample of 446 Australian non-Aboriginal women pregnant by an Aboriginal male (age range 14-43 years) provided data to evaluate the outcome variables (self-rated oral health and oral health impairment), the Stage of Change constructs and socio-demographic, behavioural and access-related factors. Factors significant at the p < 0.05 level in bivariate analysis were entered into prevalence regression models. RESULTS: Approximately 54% of participants had fair/poor self-rated oral health and 34% had oral health impairment. Around 12% were 'Pre-contemplative', 46% 'Contemplative' and 42% 'Active'. Being either 'pre-contemplative' or 'contemplative' was associated with poor self-rated oral health after adjusting for socio-demographic factors. 'Pre-contemplative' ceased being significant after adjusting for dentate status and dental behaviour. 'Pre-contemplative' remained significant when adjusting for dental cost, but not 'Contemplative'. The Stages of Change constructs ceased being associated with self-rated oral health after adjusting for all confounders. Only 'Contemplative' (reference: 'Active') was a risk indicator in the null model for oral health impairment which persisted after adding dentate status, dental behaviour and dental cost variables, but not socio-demographics. When adjusting for all confounders, 'Contemplative' was not a risk indicator for oral health impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Both the 'Pre-contemplative' and 'Contemplative' Stage of Change constructs were associated with poor self-rated oral health and oral health impairment after adjusting for some, but not all, covariates. When considered as a proxy marker of psychosocial health, Stage of Change constructs may have some relevance for subjective oral health.

Does different wording of a global oral health question provide different results?

OBJECTIVE: Focusing on 70-year-old adults in Sweden and guided by the conceptual framework of International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps (ICIDH), the purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which socio-demographic characteristics, self-reported oral disease and social/psychological/physical oral health outcome variables are associated with two global measures of self-assessed satisfaction with oral health in Swedish 70-year-olds and if there is a degree of discordance between these global questions. BACKGROUND: It has become an important task to create a simple way to measure self-perceived oral health. In these attempts to find practical ways to measure health, the 'global oral health question' is a possible tool to measure self-rated oral health, but there is limited knowledge about how important the wording of this question is. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2012, a questionnaire was mailed to all persons born in 1942 in two Swedish counties, Örebro (T) and Östergötland (E). The total population of 70-year-olds amounted to 7889. Bivariate analyses were conducted by cross-tabulation and Chi-square statistics. Multivariate analyses were conducted using binary multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: The two global oral health question of 70-year-olds in Sweden was mainly explained by the number of teeth (OR=5.6 and 5.2), chewing capacity (OR=6.9 and 4.2), satisfaction with dental appearance (OR=19.8 and 17.3) and Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) (OR=3.5 and 3.9). CONCLUSION: Regardless of the wording, it seems that the concept of a global oral health question has the same main determinants.

Oral Disorders, Socioenvironmental Factors and Subjective Perception Impact on Children's School Performance.

PURPOSE: To examine the impact of oral disorders, socioenvironmental factors and subjective perceptions on children's school performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample of 515 12-year-old children was randomly selected by conglomerate analysis. The children were clinically evaluated (DMFT index, bleeding on probing and DAI index) and asked to complete the questionnaire about family environment, self-perception of health status, oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and school (questions in Child Perceptions Questionnaire - CPQ11-14). A questionnaire about socioeconomic status and perceptions about their children's health was sent to the parents. School performance was measured. RESULTS: In a multivariate logistic model, the following variables remained statistically significant when associated with adolescents' poor school performance in the final model: number of people living in household, household overcrowding, parental perceptions about their children's oral health, presence of carious lesions and a question from CPQ11-14 about difficulty in paying attention in class because of their teeth, lips, jaws or mouth. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that socioenvironmental factors, subjective perceptions and oral health status of children - particularly carious lesions, have an important impact on school performance, demonstrating the need for planning public health dentistry based on intersectoral public policies.

Young adults' views on the relevance of three measures for oral health-related quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the views of young adults on the relevance of three measures of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). METHODS: Sixteen young adults aged 21-29 years were interviewed. The selection was strategic with reference to age (21-25 years.; 26-30 years), sex and education (university degree; upper secondary school). The interview guide covered areas on the content and construction of the measures: The Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP), the Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) and the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life UK (OHRQoL-UK). The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: A theme expressing the latent content was formulated during the data analysis: 'young adults' own experiences were reflected in their views on the OHRQoL measures'; that is, the experiences of young adults of own oral problems and aspects that were found to be especially important for their age group influenced their view on the measures. The self-reported ability to understand and answer the questions varied and the perceived advantages and disadvantages were almost equally distributed among the three measures. CONCLUSIONS: The OHIP, OIDP and OHRQoL-UK were evaluated as being equal by the young adults in this study, with regard both to their pros and cons. The clarity of the measures was regarded as the most important factor, while the length and assessment period were less significant.

Impact of tooth loss related to number and position on oral health quality of life among adults.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of tooth loss on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in adults with emphasis on the number of teeth lost and their relative position in the mouth. METHODS: The study population was a cross-sectional household probability sample of 248, representing 149,635 20-64 year-old residents in Piracicaba-SP, Brazil. OHRQoL was measured using the OHIP-14. Socioeconomic, demographic, health literacy, dental services use data and clinical variables were collected. Oral examinations were performed using WHO criteria for caries diagnosis, using the DMFT index; that is, the sum of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT). An ordinal scale for tooth loss, based on position and number of missing teeth, was the main explanatory variable. The total OHIP score was the outcome for negative binomial regression and OHIP prevalence was the outcome for logistic regression at 5% level. A hierarchical modeling approach was adopted according to conceptual model. RESULTS: OHIP score was 10.21 (SE 1.16) with 48.1% (n=115) reporting one or more impacts fairly/very often (OHIP prevalence). Significant prevalence rate ratios (PRRs) for OHIP severity were observed for those who had lost up to 12 teeth, including one or more anterior teeth (PRR=1.63, 95%CI 1.06-2.51), those who had lost 13-31 teeth (PRR=2.33, 95%CI 1.49-3.63), and the edentulous (PRR=2.66, 95%CI 1.55-4.57) compared with fully dentate adults. Other significant indicators included those who only sought dental care because of dental pain (PRR=1.67, 95%CI 1.11-2.51) or dental needs (PRR=1.84, 95%CI 1.24-2.71) and having untreated caries (PRR=1.57 95%CI 1.09-2.26). Tooth loss was not significantly associated with OHIP prevalence; instead using dental services due to dental pain (PR=2.43, 95%CI 1.01-5.82), having untreated caries (PR=3.96, 95%CI 1.85-8.51) and low income (PR=2.80, 95%CI 1.26-6.42) were significant risk indicators for reporting OHIP prevalence. CONCLUSION: Our analyses showed OHRQoL gradients consistent with the number and position of teeth missing due to oral disease. These findings suggest that the quantity of teeth lost does not necessarily reflect the impact of tooth mortality on OHRQoL and that future studies should take this into consideration.

Oral health-related quality of life and its relationship to self-reported oral discomfort and clinical status.

The impact of oral health on quality of life is one aspect when it comes to understanding the significance of oral health. The aim of this study was to analyse the self-reported oral discomfort and clinical status of individuals reporting oral problems never/very seldom affecting quality of life during the last year and compare them with individuals who reported oral problems hardly ever/occasionally or often/very often during the the same period. The study comprised a stratified random sample of 515 individuals who lived in four parishes in the City of Jonköping, Sweden, and turned 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 years of age in 2003. The impact of oral health on quality of life was examined using the OHIP-14 questionnaire. The individuals were also examined clinically and radiographically. Of the participants, 21% reported no experience of impaired quality of life and 20% of the individuals reported that they had experienced impaired quality of life often or very often during the last year. The highest frequency of oral problems was found among individuals aged 20 and 80 years. Subjective symptoms, such as grinding/clenching and headache, were found among 20- and 30-year-olds. Edentulous individuals and individuals with many missing teeth, individuals with severe periodontal disease or subjective dry mouth answered that they experienced problems according to the OHIP-14 often or very often. A number of individuals, young and old, had thus experienced subjective or clinically verified oral conditions associated with a negative experience of quality of life. This complementary information will provide a deeper understanding of the importance of oral health in the population.

Oral health-related quality of life of older people from three South American cities.

OBJECTIVE: To describe subjective oral health status and its association with overall health conditions and socioeconomic factors in the elderly (60 years and older) living in the capital cities with the oldest average populations in South America. BACKGROUND: Oral diseases are a public health problem, frequently neglected in older adults. In recent years, the subjective assessment of psychological and social consequences of the problems related to oral health has been valued. One of the instruments used to estimate the Oral Health-Quality of Life is the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment (GOHAI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Representative samples from SABE study (1999-2000) of Santiago (n = 1301), Buenos Aires (n = 1043), and Montevideo (n = 1450) aged 60 and over community-dwelling people. We assessed OH-QoL (GOHAI), self-reported missing teeth, denture use, and self-rated-health, among other indicators. Logistic regression models(GOHAI < 58) for each city, adjusted by sex and age, were applied. RESULTS: GOHAI average scores were higher in Montevideo (54.8 ± 6.1) than in Buenos Aires (53.1 ± 7.4) and Santiago (49.9 ± 8.6). A pronounced gradient of the oral condition and GOHAI scores were observed within the three-cities. Denture use -less prevalent in Santiago and more common among women- is a protective factor against a poor OH-QoL. CONCLUSION: Socioeconomic inequalities in oral health status and OH-QoL are observed in the three cities. The increasing life expectancy emphasizes the need to integrate prevention and treatment efforts, as a way to improve OH-QoL over the course of a lifetime.

Children's dental health, school performance, and psychosocial well-being.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of dental health on school performance and psychosocial well-being in a nationally representative sample of children in the US. STUDY DESIGN: We analyzed data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health for 40,752-41,988 children. The effects of dental problems and maternal-rated dental health on school performance and psychosocial well-being outcomes were evaluated using regression models adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. RESULTS: Dental problems were significantly associated with reductions in school performance and psychosocial well-being. Children with dental problems were more likely to have problems at school (OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.37-1.72) and to miss school (OR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.23-1.64) and were less likely to do all required homework (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.68-0.85). Dental problems were associated with shyness, unhappiness, feeling of worthlessness, and reduced friendliness. The effects of dental problems on unhappiness and feeling of worthlessness were largest for adolescents between 15 and 17 years. CONCLUSION: Preventing and treating dental problems and improving dental health may benefit child academic achievement and cognitive and psychosocial development.

Validation of a Greek version of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) for use among adults.

BACKGROUND: To test the validity of the short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) for use among adults in Greece. METHODS: The original English version of the OHIP-14 was translated using the forward-backward technique, pilot-tested, and then applied to 211 adults aged 35 years and above. The questionnaire was filled out during face-to-face interviews conducted by one dentist, while individuals were asked to undergo a clinical examination. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient and inter-item and item-total correlations. Discriminant and convergent validities were assessed. RESULTS: Cronbach's α was estimated to be 0.90. Inter-item correlations coefficients ranged from 0.10 to 0.83, while item-total correlations coefficients from 0.44 to 0.76. Significant associations were found between OHIP-14 and the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) and oral hygiene, supporting the ability of the questionnaire to discriminate between individuals with and without impacts. The OHIP-14 total score was highly associated with self-perceived oral health status (r(s) = 0.57; p = 0.01), as well as with self-assessment of oral satisfaction (r(s) = 0.55;p = 0.01). Similar results were observed by investigating the relationship between the latter questions and each domain score as well as in various sub-groups analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The OHIP-14 is a reliable and valid questionnaire for the assessment of OHRQoL among adults in Greece.

Developing a new self-reported scale of oral health outcomes for 5-year-old children (SOHO-5).

BACKGROUND: Information on the impact of oral health on quality of life of children younger than 8 years is mostly based on parental reports, as methodological and conceptual challenges have hindered the development of relevant validated self-reported measures. This study aimed to develop and assess the reliability and validity of a new self-reported oral health related quality of life measure, the Scale of Oral Health Outcomes for 5-year-old children (SOHO-5), in the UK. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of two phases. First, consultation focus groups (CFGs) with parents of 5-year-olds and review by experts informed the development of the SOHO-5 questionnaire. The second phase assessed its reliability and validity on a sample of grade 1 (5-year-old) primary schoolchildren in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area, Scotland. Data were linked to available clinical oral health information and analysis involved associations of SOHO-5 with subjective and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: CFGs identified eating, drinking, appearance, sleeping, smiling, and socialising as the key oral impacts at this age. 332 children participated in the main study and for 296 (55% girls, mean d3mft: 1.3) clinical data were available. Overall, 49.0% reported at least one oral impact on their daily life. The most prevalent impacts were difficulty eating (28.7%), difficulty sleeping (18.5%), avoiding smiling due to toothache (14.9%) and avoiding smiling due to appearance (12.5%). The questionnaire was quick to administer, with very good comprehension levels. Cronbach's alpha was 0.74 and item-total correlation coefficients ranged between 0.30 and 0.60, demonstrating the internal consistency of the new measure. For validity, SOHO-5 scores were significantly associated with different subjective oral health outcomes (current toothache, toothache lifetime experience, satisfaction with teeth, presence of oral cavities) and an aggregate measure of clinical and subjective oral health outcomes. The new measure also discriminated between different clinical groups in relation to active caries, pulp involvement, and dental sepsis. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to develop and validate a self-reported oral health related quality of life measure for 5-year-old children. Initial reliability and validity findings were very satisfactory. SOHO-5 can be a useful tool in clinical studies and public health programs.

Using associations between oral diseases and oral health-related quality of life in a nationally representative sample to propose oral health goals for 12-year-old children in Thailand.

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to assess the associations between oral diseases and specifically oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in a nationally representative sample of 12-year-old children in Thailand in order to classify children according to their levels of risk for adverse OHRQoL and to apply findings to formulate proposals for oral health goals. METHODS: Oral examinations and OHRQoL interviews using the Child-Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (Child-OIDP) schedule were conducted in 1,100 children as part of the Thailand National Oral Health Survey. The severity of oral impacts was categorised according to their 'intensity'. Associations of oral diseases and condition-specific (CS) OHRQoL impacts were investigated. RESULTS: Oral impacts were prevalent. Most were of low intensity; these were excluded from the analysis used to develop goals. At the threshold of moderate/high intensity, CS impacts attributable to dental caries, edentulous areas, periodontal disease and discolouration were reported by 18.5%, 0.2%, 8.7% and 2.6% of participants, respectively. Missing teeth was significantly related to CS impacts. Condition-specific impacts were 1.6 times and three to four times more likely to affect children with one decayed tooth and two or more decayed teeth, respectively. Children with gingivitis or calculus in three or more sextants were twice as likely and children with calculus and gingivitis in three or more sextants were 3.5 times more likely to report CS impacts. Based on these findings, these recommendations are proposed: all 12-year-old children should have fewer than two untreated decayed teeth; 60% of 12-year-old children should not have periodontal disease in any form in more than two sextants, and the proportion of 12-year-old children with calculus with gingivitis in three or more sextants should not exceed 5%. CONCLUSIONS: Measures of oral health and goals for oral health in children should include measures of OHRQoL.

Validation of a Korean version of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) among 8- to 15-year-old school children.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess reliability, discriminant validity, and convergent validity of the Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP) Korean version in a representative community sample of 8- to 15-year-old Korean children. METHODS: A Korean version of COHIP was developed according to the standard procedure of cross-cultural adaptation of self-reported instruments. A representative community sample of 2236 schoolchildren was selected by cluster sampling method. RESULTS: Mean age of the participants was 11.8 years. Mean and median of the overall COHIP score were 103.3 (SD 13.3) and 106, respectively. Internal reliability and retest reliability were excellent with Chronbach's alpha 0.88 and intraclass correlation coefficient 0.88. Face validity was confirmed with 98% of participants reporting the COHIP questionnaire was easy to answer. Nonclinical factors such as self-rated oral health or satisfaction with oral health were significantly related with overall COHIP score and five subscale scores (P < 0.001) in a consistent manner. Children with carious permanent teeth and with orthodontic treatment need had highly significantly lower overall COHIP score (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The Korean version of the COHIP was successfully developed. The internal reliability, retest reliability, face validity, discriminant validity, and convergent validity of the COHIP Korean version were confirmed.

Prevalence of dental myths, oral hygiene methods and tobacco habits in an ageing North Indian rural population.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Though increased emphasis is being given to expanding dental care facilities and awareness in Indian villages, the target population is unfortunately less literate and financially-equipped compared to their urban counterparts. This study attempted to evaluate dental myths, oral hygiene methods and beliefs, and tobacco habits present in a rural ageing population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study area consisted of a group of 10 villages, situated in the district of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The sample comprised 681 people aged 50 years or above. The subjects were questioned about dental myths, tobacco habits and oral hygiene methods and then divided into groups on the basis of age, gender, and educational status. Mean values, standard deviation, chi-square test, t-test and p values were used to obtain inter-group comparisons. RESULTS: Forty percent of the subjects considered oral hygiene unnecessary, with 61% relying on simple mouth rinsing for maintaining oral hygiene, 48% either smoked and chewed tobacco or both and 81% had one or more dental myth. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the rural ageing population is deprived and a targeted programme to spread scientific dental practices to them is necessary.

Association of clinical oral health status with self-rated oral health and GOHAI in Japanese adults.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate clinical oral health status relationships that affect quality of life (using the 12-item General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI)) and self-rated oral health in a community of Japanese residents. METHODS: 459 residents of Yokote City, Japan aged 40-55 years had oral health examinations and completed self-administered questionnaires collecting data on age, gender, GOHAI items and self-rated oral health. Linear regression analysis was performed with GOHAI or self-rated oral health as a dependent variable and gender, age and indicators of oral health status as independent variables. RESULTS: The GOHAI indicated 42.7% of subjects were concerned about the appearance of their teeth, 30.1% were worried about teeth problems and 27.5% concerned about sensitive teeth. Analyses showed that gender, decayed teeth, oral dryness and missing teeth were significantly associated with variation in GOHAI scores, and that gender, decayed teeth, oral dryness and oral hygiene were significantly associated with variation in self-rated oral health. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that in this sample of Japanese adults aged 40-55 years, decayed teeth and oral dryness affected both GOHAI and self-rated oral health, whereas missing teeth affected GOHAI and oral hygiene affected self-rated oral health. Subjects did not recognise periodontal disease as a quality of life impacting condition or as a health problem.

Impact of oral problems on daily activities of HIV-infected children.

AIM: Oral manifestations are common in HIV+ children, but the impact of these diseases on their daily life is unknown. So the aim of this study was to assess the impact of oral problems on the daily activities of HIV+ children. METHODS: The Child-OIDP-B was used with 59 10-12 year-old HIV+ children, who were outpatients at two public hospitals for HIV treatment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Caries, biofilm and gingival bleeding indexes were recorded. The Kruskall-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests as well as the Spearman's correlation coefficient were used for analysis. Statistical evaluation: Replies were analysed using the Statgraphics ® Plus Version 5.0 statistics software system, in order to obtain comparative diagrams and graphs using the ANOVA multifactorial system. RESULTS: The Child-OIDP-B scores ranged from 0 to 30, (mean=6.09) and 71.2% of the children were affected by oral problems. Association was found between oral impact and number of caries (p=0.009). Children receiving HAART therapy had a Child-OIDP-B score (4.87), much lower than those who were not (8.87) (p=0.038). The most reported oral impact of the disease was eating (55.6%), but oral wounds were the most prevalent type of lesions (76.3%). As regards the level of intensity of the impact, moderate severity was prevalent in all 59 children and 66.1% reported that oral impacts affected 1-4 daily activities, 50.8% of all children were not satisfied with their appearance and oral health; 23.7% perceived the impact of HIV-infection on general health. CONCLUSION: Most children suffered the impact of oral problems on their daily activities, mainly functional impacts.

The use of quality of life measures in oral medicine: a review of the literature.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the use of patient reported quality of life measures in oral medicine, to highlight the importance of use of these measures in oral medicine practice and to provide guidance for the selection of such measures in the future. METHODS: A detailed literature review was undertaken to investigate the use of quality of life measures in oral medicine. The databases searched were MEDLINE (through PubMed), EMBASE, CINDHL, Web of Science Citation Index and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and randomised controlled trials. RESULTS: The initial literature search yielded a total of 5310 citations; however, only 63 of these fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Twenty-two articles were regarding oral mucosal conditions, 14 related to orofacial pain disorders and 27 were regarding salivary gland-related conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of quality of life in oral medicine has a broad applicability, providing information in treatment-based studies and population-based studies. A predominance of generic and oral health specific quality of life measures are being used to a limited extent in oral medicine practice. A scarcity of reports of the development, validation or use of disease specific measures is evident.

Factors associated with self-assessed oral health in the Japanese independent elderly.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this research was to analyse the relationship between oral health status, oral motor function, daily life situations and self-assessed oral health. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 190 independent elderly volunteers aged 62-99 years from senior citizen centres in Tokyo, Japan. A questionnaire survey and oral examination were conducted on each participant. For the descriptive analyses, Independent t-test and the chi-squared test were used. Following that, using four latent variables, (oral health, oral function, daily life situations and chronic health condition), a structural equation modelling analysis (SEMA) was undertaken. RESULTS: In the descriptive analyses, there were no significant differences between self-assessed oral health and oral health status. However, there were significant differences between self-assessed oral health and oral function and daily life situations. Findings from SEMA revealed that daily life situations and oral function have independent effects on self-assessed oral health and that the relationship between self-assessed oral health and oral health status was weak. CONCLUSIONS: Many factors affect self-assessed oral health status. Dental clinicians and researchers should attempt to understand these factors and incorporate them into effective personal and population-based oral health education and oral health promotion programmes.