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.