Quality of life related to the installation of the total prosthesis
Stomatognathic System. Edentulous. Dentures. Quality of life
Full edentulism is characterized by the permanent loss of permanent teeth, resulting in aesthetic, structural and functional changes, which can negatively impact the quality of life, being minimized through rehabilitation with the dental prosthesis. The objective of this study was to compare the quality of life related to oral health in patients with the complete mandibular complete denture three months after the installation of the new prosthesis and two years after the new removable bimaxillary prosthesis was made. In this longitudinal comparative study, 15 volunteers, aged between 50 and 82 years, of both sexes, who sought treatment in the Department of Dentistry of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, participated in the preparation of new prostheses. The Brazilian version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for edentulous patients (OHIP-EDENT) was used to evaluate the quality of life. Data analysis was performed descriptively and analytically with the Friedman and Wilcoxon tests, with a significance level of 5%. In relation to the domains of OHIP-EDENT, there was a difference for discomfort and masticatory incapacity between the initial evaluation and after two years. In the areas of pain and orofacial discomfort, Psychological Disability and Social Disability, there were no differences between the evaluated periods. Indicators of improvement in patients' quality of life were observed, in the discomfort and masticatory incapacity domain between the evaluation and 2 years.