Introduction Oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) represents a part of the general health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This OHRQoL indicates someone's subjective knowledge of a patient's oral health status, which is mostly associated with physical conditions and general HRQoL issues. A report by the World Health Organization labeled rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases as the second most reported cause of disability worldwide. Considering their potential influence on the masticatory system, rheumatic diseases (RDs) can significantly affect oral health and the quality of life. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the impact of RDs on OHRQoL, including oral complaints, oral habits, oral functions, and dental care. Materials and methods This cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in multi-governmental medical and dental institutions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The research was approved by the ethics committee Institutional Review Board (IRB). The validated surveys were distributed to the subjects manually. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 23.0 software, and all parameters were expressed in frequencies and percentages. Results The study included 108 patients: 10 males (9.3%) and 98 (90.7%) females. Approximately 81% of the study group reported occasional changes in the quality of life caused by oral or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems. Dental caries and periodontal diseases were the most commonly reported complaints (73.1%). Regarding oral manifestations of RDs affecting the quality of life, 91.7% of participants never experienced difficulty speaking and taste changes; pain and discomfort in the mouth were always present in 4.6% of the participants. Conclusion Patients with RDs exhibited reduced OHRQoL, with several differences between the entities. Specifically, OHRQoL decreased in diseases with more oral manifestations, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which showed a high percentage in this study (SLE, about 27.8%; RA, 62%).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.