Effects of periodontal diseases in the quality of life associated with oral health

Periodontal diseases are one of the most common oral diseases worldwide. To develop and refine administrative procedures and preventive measures in the field of oral hygiene, assessment of the quality of life in people with periodontal diseases is necessary.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of periodontal diseases on the quality of life associated with oral health.

Materials and methods. A total of 192 patients receiving dental care participated in this study. Participants were divided into two age groups: 35–44 years old and 65–74 years old. A comprehensive proprietary methodology for analyzing the effect of periodontal diseases on the quality of life associated with oral health was developed, which comprises objective and subjective methods for dental health assessment. In the first stage, the status of the periodontal tissues was assessed using the modified Community Periodontal Index and an indicator of the periodontal tissues attachment loss severity.

In the second stage, the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 dental quality of life questionnaire was used to conduct an anonymous survey among respondents. Thereafter, results of the dental examination and anonymous questionnaire were integrated.

Results. Respondents aged 65–74 years old are prone to a more severe course of periodontal disease and have a significantly lower quality of life. When analyzing the correlation dependence between indicator values of the status of the periodontal tissues and the respondents’ status, a statistically significant positive correlation of various powers was obtained in all age groups, which reliably suggest the existence of close linkage between the severity of periodontal disease and the degradation of the quality of life.

Conclusions. The impact of periodontal diseases on the quality of life associated with oral health has been revealed and reliably established, which proves the need to develop and implement administrative procedures to improve preventive measures and programs designed to provide assistance to such patients at all levels of medical care, with the quality of life indicators to be considered obligatory.