Using oral quality of life measures in geriatric dentistry.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this paper is to present potential uses of existing oral-specific quality of life (OQOL) instruments in geriatric dentistry.

METHOD

Selected existing OQOL instruments were reviewed. Three examples of how such instruments have or could be used in geriatric dentistry are presented.

CONTENT OF REVIEW

Nine OQOL instruments are briefly reviewed. The potential uses in geriatric dentistry include population applications and uses with individuals for political, theoretical and practical reasons. Practical uses include identification of persons needing treatment, assessing oral health needs in populations and estimating resources required to meet those needs, as endpoints in clinical trials and as measures of the impact of care provided.

CONCLUSIONS

The ultimate value of OQOL measures will be measured by their usefulness in improving care of patients. The development of streamlined instruments and a core instrument which can be used in multiple populations and serve as a baseline to which other measures are added is recommended.