Quality of Life with Removable Dentures

GOAL To measure change in a quality of life after treatment with removable dentures and to describe differences in quality of life in patients with new and worn out dentures. MATERIALS AND METHODS Measuring instrument was OHIP-49, translated from English into one of the languages in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sample consisted of patients who wanted to make/replace mobile dentures or came to repair a broken dentures. Comprehensibility of the OHIP-BH49 was tested on a sub-sample of patients. Three measurements were made: before and after the insertion of dentu res and when patients came to repair their mobile dentures. RESULTS Sample consisted of 67 patients: 32 patients who sought prosthetic treatment, and 35 who came to repair their broken dentures. We received 89.7% correctly filled questionnaires. Minor changes were made in four (4) questions. Statistical analysis performed with the T-test revealed the significant differences, before and after the treatment with mobile dentures (t=39.5, p<0.001). There was a significant difference in OHIP scores in patients with a new dentures, compared to the patients who had worn out dentures (t=44.30, p<0.001). Substantial differences, between OHIP scores, regarding the time of wearing dentures or patients' age were not observed. DISCUSSION Patients who wore dentures longer than 5 years, showed better quality of life, because they became accustomed to the dentures. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported life quality improved considerably after insertion of a new dentures. Patients with a new dentures showed significantly better quality of life than patients with worn out dentures. One part of OHIP validation in Bosnia-Herzegovina has been done.