The short-term effect of prosthodontic treatment on self-reported oral health status: the use of a single-item questionnaire.

PURPOSE

To describe self-reported oral health status before and after treatment in patients treated with fixed, removable, and complete dentures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Subjects were a convenience sample of 119 prosthodontic patients (patients treated with fixed prostheses (n=61), removable dentures (n=48), and complete dentures (n=10); mean age: 57.3 +/- 15.6 years; 47% women). Self-reported oral health status before and 1 month after treatment was measured with a 5-point question (responses ranging from "excellent" to "poor") frequently used in epidemiologic studies and health services research. Pretreatment and posttreatment self-ratings of oral health were compared with the findings from a national general population sample (n=2016; age: 16 to 79 years) categorized by their denture status. Change of oral health status was evaluated using Wilcoxon matched pairs signed ranks test.

RESULTS

"Excellent" or "very good" ratings were observed for 4% of the patients at baseline and for 16% of the patients at follow-up, which was identical to the prevalence of these ratings in the general population for subjects with removable dentures (16%) and better than for complete dentures wearers (13%). The change from pretreatment to posttreatment self-reported oral health status was statistically significant (P < .001). Substantial differences in change patterns among groupings of prosthodontic therapies (fixed, removable, or complete dentures) were not observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported oral health status improved considerably comparing pretreatment and posttreatment status. Single questions describing the overall situation of perceived oral health or its changes may provide simple and easy-to-interpret information about the impact of prosthodontic treatment.