Maxillofacial prosthesis’s effect on oral hygiene and oral health related quality of life of patients in a population of Pakistan

Abstract

Background and Aim: Dental malformations caused by surgical excision of oral cancerous tissues cause physical, functional and aesthetic problems. Congenital disorders or acquired factors are regarded as the major causes for maxillofacial defects. The purpose of the current investigation was to determine the effect of maxillofacial prosthesis on oral hygiene and oral health related life quality of life of patients in a population of Pakistan. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted on 28 maxillofacial defects’ bearing patients investigated in the Department of Dentistry at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan from January 2021 to December 2022. Hearing as well as visually impaired and edentulous patients were excluded from the study. Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) was used for the assessment of Oral Health related Quality of Life (OHR QoL). The OHR-QoL was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. “Functional limitation (9 items)”, “Physical pain (9 items)”, “Psychological discomfort (5 items)”, “Physical disability (9 items)”, “Psychological disability (6 items)”, “Social disability (5 items)”, and “Handicap (6 items)” were 7 subscales of OHR-QoL recorded in each questionnaire and a greater OHR-QoL impairment was an indicative of a higher overall OHIP score.