Impact of Prosthetic Rehabilitation on Quality of Life in Patients with Significant Dental and Orofacial Tissue Loss: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PURPOSE

To assess the impact of prosthetic rehabilitation on quality of life (QoL) in patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) and in edentulous patients with implant-supported complete dentures (ICD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CLP (n = 20) and ICD (n = 26) patients completed the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Nine patients with an OHIP-14 score above the 75th percentile were interviewed. Data were interpreted using inductive content analysis and triangulation.

RESULTS

ICD patients scored higher than CLP patients in overall OHIP-14 score and in most domains (P < .05). After rehabilitation, CLP patients reported improvement in psychosocial functions but worsening in physical functions. ICD patients had improvement in all domains, but were less satisfied.

CONCLUSION

The mixed-methods study design can detect the origins and interactions of factors in treated patients with complex problems.