Impact of Self-Image and Self-Esteem After Rehabilitation with Complete Dentures: An Observational Clinical Study

This study evaluated the influence of self-image and self-esteem on overall quality of life and oral health in edentulous individuals before and after rehabilitation with new complete dentures.

An observational clinical study was conducted with 26 edentulous adults. Participants completed validated questionnaires (GOHAI, DIDL, RSES, SHS, BASS, MBSRQ-AS, ST, FOE) before treatment and 2-3 weeks after denture delivery. Pre- and post-treatment differences were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and relationships among domains were examined using Spearman's correlation (α = 0.05).

Significant improvements were observed in oral health perception and several psychosocial domains, including GOHAI (26.0 → 28.5; p = 0.015), self-esteem on the RSES (-0.25 → 1.0; p < 0.001), smile frequency on the ST (11.0 → 11.5; p = 0.006), and appearance-related dimensions of the DIDL (p < 0.001). Satisfaction with dental and facial-related body areas also increased, as reflected by improvements in BASS-General (37.5 → 31.0; p = 0.008), Teeth (3 → 1; p < 0.001), Mouth (2 → 1; p = 0.006), and Profile (2 → 1; p = 0.001). Spearman's analyses revealed statistically significant correlations among functional, esthetic, and psychosocial domains, of weak to moderate strength. No significant changes were detected for SHS, FOE, or the MBSRQ-AS subscales (p > 0.05).

Rehabilitation with dentures resulted in meaningful short-term improvements in oral-health perception, self-esteem, and esthetic self-perception. Weak to moderate correlations among functional, esthetic, and psychosocial domains indicate interconnected early changes, while broader emotional constructs showed no significant variation.