Patterns of impaired oral health-related quality of life dimensions

How dental patients are affected by oral conditions can be described with the concept of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This concept intends to make the patient experience measurable. OHRQoL is multidimensional, and Oral Function, Oro-facial Pain, Oro-facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact were suggested as its four dimensions and consequently four scores are needed for comprehensive OHRQoL assessment. When only the presence of dimensional impact is measured, a pattern of affected OHRQoL dimensions would describe in a simple way how oral conditions influence the individual. By determining which patterns of impact on OHRQoL dimensions exist in prosthodontic patients and general population subjects, we aimed to identify in which combinations oral conditions' functional, painful, aesthetical and psychosocial impact occurs. Data came from the Dimensions of OHRQoL Project with Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-49 data from 6349 general population subjects and 2999 prosthodontic patients in the Learning Sample (N = 5173) and the Validation Sample (N = 5022). We hypothesised that all 16 patterns of OHRQoL dimensions should occur in these individuals who suffered mainly from tooth loss, its causes and consequences. A dimension was considered impaired when at least one item in the dimension was affected frequently. The 16 possible patterns of impaired OHRQoL dimensions were found in patients and general population subjects in both Learning and Validation Samples. In a four-dimensional OHRQoL model consisting Oral Function, Oro-facial Pain, Oro-facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact, oral conditions' impact can occur in any combination of the OHRQoL dimensions.