Periodontal disease and oral health-related quality of life

Abstract

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease initiated by mixed opportunistic bacterial pathogens in the dental plaque biofilm. In the susceptible patient, advancing periodontal disease often leads to loss of supporting soft and hard tissues around a tooth. Due to the nature and progression of the disease, methods of characterizing periodontal disease have often been based on clinical parameters such as probing pockets depths, clinical attachment levels, bleeding on probing, mobility scores and gingival recession. Unfortunately, such parameters show no indication of how the disease affects the patients themselves. Of recent years, patient centered assessments such as Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) are increasingly appreciated and being applied. Such measures incorporate the functional, psychological and social consequences of oral conditions for the individual, and not merely signs and symptoms of the disease itself. This chapter will review the effects of periodontal disease and its treatment on OHRQoL. Patients often report functional limitation, physical pain and psychological disability associated with the signs and symptoms of periodontal disease. Such effects on OHRQoL have been shown to diminish with proper treatment. Furthermore, recent studies have also shown that the complications or outcome of different treatment strategies have, to varying degrees, an effect on patients daily life. These complications such as tooth loss, recession and pain are closely related and interplay to affect the patient's OHRQoL.