The effect of an oral prosthesis on the quality of life for head and neck cancer patients

Abstract

The quality of life (QOL) in patients with cancer in the head and neck regions has become an increasingly important factor in medical treatment. We examined the effect of a prosthesis on the QOL based on the patients' own subjective evaluations. Sixty-eight head and neck cancer patients who had been treated in the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry of the Faculty of Dentistry, Kyushu University, were compared with 35 denture wearers as a control. General denture satisfaction in the control group showed a statistical correlation with eating (P<0.01, t-test; rho = 0.72, Spearman rank correlation), aesthetic satisfaction (P<0.01, rho = 0.57) and pain (P<0.01, rho = 0.51). On the other hand, for cancer patients, general denture satisfaction showed a statistical correlation with not only eating (P<0.01, rho = 0.34), aesthetic satisfaction (P<0.01, rho = 0.33) and pain (P<0.01, rho = 0.41) but also health (P<0.01, rho = 0.33) and mental well-being (P<0.01, rho = 0.41). A statistical correlation between the Denture score and the QOL score was thus observed in cancer patients (P<0.0001, rho = 0.56), while the correlation for the control group was not statistically significant. This study showed that oral prostheses for head and neck cancer patients are important factors not only for eating but also for the overall patient QOL.

Matrix Macromolecules in Hard Tissues Control the Nucleation and Hierarchical Assembly of Hydroxyapatite

“…The elastic modulus of the rDMP1-mediated crystalline HAP was found to be 6.58 Ϯ 1.02 GPa, whereas the elastic modulus of platy HAP crystals grown in the presence of type I collagen and rDMP1 was found to be 18.08 Ϯ 1.28 GPa. These values are comparable with the elastic moduli reported (32)(33)(34)(35) for various types of bone and dentine (Fig. 9c).…”

The impact of oral rehabilitation on oral health-related quality of life in patients receiving radiotherapy for the treatment of head and neck cancer

“…If this is the case, teeth and dentures may become increasingly important in terms of their impact on OHRQoL. In a group of patients suffering from head and neck cancer, who did not have to undergo RT, it has been shown that dentures had a positive influence on OHRQoL particularly if a serious illness was present [34].…”

Sex differences in denture satisfaction

“…It was reported that in both a cancer group wearing maxillofacial prostheses, as well as in a control group wearing conventional dentures, females rated most variables lower than the males. 15 However, the authors failed to find significant differences, most probably because the sample size was small. In another study, it was found that males could adapt more easily to new removable partial dentures than females.…”