Quality of life and mastication in denture wearers and cleft lip and palate adults

Abstract

The impact of oral rehabilitation on masticatory functionand oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) may vary with theexperience of the individual with tissue loss. Our hypothesis is thatpatient-centered outcomes vary among adults who have experiencedlarge defects in the maxilla due to congenital or acquired conditionseven after oral rehabilitation to restore aesthetics and function. Thisstudy compared OHRQoL, perceived masticatory ability, maximum biteforce (MBF), and symptoms of pain and depression among subjects withacquired (edentulous maxilla) and congenital (cleft lip and palate) lossof oral tissues in the maxilla after dental treatment. A gender-matchedsample (n = 60) of cleft lip and palate (CLP), maxillary denture wearers(DENT) and controls (CONT) was recruited. OHRQoL was assessedusing OHIP-14. Chewing was evaluated through a masticatory abilityquestionnaire and by MBF. The RDC/TMD Axis II questionnaire wasused to assess symptoms of pain and depression. Data were analyzed byFisher’s test, Kruskal Wallis test, and Spearman correlation coefficients.CLP showed higher OHIP-14 and depression scores than DENT andCONT (p < 0.05). Sub-analysis by OHIP-14 items (%FOVO) showed higherprevalence of psychological impact for CLP and of functional impacts forDENT. The number of foods difficult to chew, of food textures difficult tochew, and avoided foods were similar between CLP and DENT. OHIP-14, MBF, and depression scores showed significant correlation (p < 0.05).The results suggest that adults with treated CLP or maxillary DENThave chewing impairment and lower MBF than healthy subjects, withdifferent psychological and functional impacts