Impact of removable complete dentures on quality of life and social dimension: a cross-sectional patient-reported...

Total tooth loss significantly impacts chewing, phonation, and facial aesthetics, negatively impacting overall well-being.

This study aims to evaluate patients' perceptions of complete removable dentures in relation to their quality of life, with particular attention to functional, psychological, and social dimensions.

A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to analyze the subjective perceptions of patients wearing complete removable dentures. Fifty completely edentulous patients were selected, 27 men and 23 women, aged between 65 and 83 years. A structured 10-item questionnaire was developed by selecting and adapting items from the OHIP-EDENT framework, focusing on three dimensions: functional comfort, psychological well-being, and social participation. This instrument represents neither the original OHIP-EDENT nor a formally validated translation or cross-cultural adaptation; it should be considered an exploratory measure of patient-reported outcomes, and its unvalidated nature is an acknowledged methodological limitation of this study. Responses were recorded using a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire's internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha, Given the ordinal nature of the Likert scale data, the Friedman test was used as the primary inferential statistical method to compare differences between the three dimensions, with one-way repeated measures ANOVA applied as a complementary parametric analysis (p < 0.05).

The mean scores showed higher values in the functional dimension (3.37 ± 1.18) and in the psychological dimension (3.23 ± 1.05), while the social dimension showed a significantly lower score (2.06 ± 1.01), indicating greater difficulties in social relationships. The repeated measures analysis of variance confirmed that these differences are not random, but statistically significant with results of F(2,98) = 52.4 p < 0.001. The Friedman test further confirmed these differences X2(2) = 48, p < 0.001 strengthening the solidity of the results.

Within the limits of this cross-sectional observational study, and without any claim to causal inference, the social dimension showed the lowest scores reported by patients in this sample, suggesting it may represent an area of greater perceived difficulty. These results are exploratory and descriptive and cannot be interpreted as evidence of a direct effect of prosthetic rehabilitation on quality of life.