Quality of life related to complete denture

Full edentulism is characterized by the complete loss of permanent teeth, resulting in aesthetic, structural and functional changes which can negatively impact quality of life, and which are minimized through rehabilitation with complete dentures. The aim of this study was to compare oral healthrelated quality of life in patients with complete original dentures three months after installation of new dentures and two years after fabrication of new complete removable dentures. In this longitudinal comparative study, 15 volunteers of both genders, aged 50 to 82 years, who sought treatment at the Department of Dentistry of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, participated in the preparation of new dentures. The Brazilian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for edentulous patients (OHIPEDENT) was used to evaluate quality of life. Data analysis was performed descriptively and with hypothesis testing using the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests with 5% significance level. In relation to the OHIPEDENT domains, there was a difference for chewing discomfort and inability to chew between baseline and two years. However, there was no difference between the evaluated periods in the areas of pain and orofacial muscle discomfort, psychological inability and social disability. Improvement indicators in patient quality of life were observed in the area of discomfort and inability to chew between baseline and 2 years.