Impact of loading protocol of a mandibular single implant-supported complete denture on oral health-related quality of life over a period of 5 years: A randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term course of OHRQoL and the impact of the loading protocol in patients receiving a single mandibular implant supporting a complete denture over a period of five years. METHODS: In this multicenter RCT, a total of 158 edentulous patients were initially included and were randomly allocated immediately after placement of a mandibular midline implant to either immediate loading (IL) or to conventional loading (CL) with submerged healing. The assessment of OHRQoL was performed with the 49-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) at baseline and 1, 4, 12, 24, and 60 months after loading. At 5-year follow-up, 100 patients (mean age: 69.2 years; 45.0% female) with completed OHIP were available for analyses. A mixed-effects model with patients as random effect and an unstructured covariance matrix was developed to address repeated outcome measurement. RESULTS: The OHRQoL improved substantially after loading, indicated by a decrease of mean OHIP summary scores from 51.0 points at baseline, by 14.2 (95%-CI: 9.4 - 19.1; p<0.001) points to 37.2 points at 1-month follow-up, and by continuous improvement to 20.4 OHIP points at final follow-up. Considering constant treatment effects, the loading protocol had no significant effect on OHIP scores (-3.7, 95%-CI: -9.4 - 2.2; p = 0.204). Time effect was statistically significant with -0.21 (95%-CI: -0.28 - -0.15; p<0.001) points per month. CONCLUSION: Both the immediate and conventional loading of a single mandibular midline implant supporting a complete denture offer long-lasting high levels of OHRQoL, with no significant or clinically relevant long-term differences. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The study firstly presents long-term data for OHRQoL by investigating the loading protocol of single mandibular implant-supported complete dentures. Since immediate loading has been associated with a reduced implant survival rate for this concept, information on patient benefits is essential for evidence-based decision making.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USE AND SCORING OF ORAL HEALTH IMPACT PROFILE VERSIONS.

BACKGROUND: OHIP's original seven-domain structure does not fit empirical data, but a psychometrically sound and clinically more plausible structure with the four OHRQoL dimensions Oral Function, Orofacial Pain, Orofacial Appearance, and Psychosocial Impact has emerged. Consequently, use and scoring of available OHIP versions need to be revisited. AIM: We assessed how well the overall construct OHRQoL and its four dimensions were measured with several OHIP versions (20, 19, 14, and 5 items) to derive recommendations which instruments should be used and how to score them. METHODS: Data came from the "Dimensions of OHRQoL Project" and used the project's learning sample (5,173 prosthodontic patients and general population subjects with 49-item OHIP data). We computed correlations among OHIP versions' summary scores. Correlations between OHRQoL dimensions, on one hand, and OHIP versions' domain scores or OHIP-5's items, on the other hand, were also computed. OHIP use and scoring recommendations were derived for psychometrically solid but also practical OHRQoL assessment. RESULTS: Summary scores of 5-, 14-, 19- and 49-item versions correlated highly (r = 0.91-0.98), suggesting similar OHRQoL construct measurement across versions. The OHRQoL dimensions Oral Function, Orofacial Pain, Orofacial Appearance, and Psychosocial Impact were best measured by the OHIP domain scores for Physical Disability, Physical Pain, Psychological Discomfort, and Handicap, respectively. CONCLUSION: Recommendations were derived which OHIP should be preferably used and how OHIP versions should be scored to capture the overall construct and the dimensions of OHRQoL. Psychometrically solid and practical OHRQoL assessment in all settings across all oral health conditions can be achieved with the 5-item OHIP.

The association between molar incisor hypomineralization and oral health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess the association between molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) and the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in a group of 7- to 14-year-old children in Berlin, Germany. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional study consisted of a consecutive sample of 317 children, aged 7-14 years (49% girls, 51% boys; mean age, 8.71). Data were collected between June 2018 and December 2019. MIH was diagnosed using the criteria of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry. OHRQoL was assessed using the German 19-item version of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP-G19). Differences in COHIP-19 summary scores between controls without MIH and MIH patients and with regards to MIH severity were tested for statistical significance using t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), respectively. RESULTS: Data were obtained for 217 untreated MIH patients and 100 controls. OHRQoL of MIH patients was significantly more impaired than of controls indicated by COHIP-19 mean scores (60.9 ± 10.7 vs. 67.9 ± 7.8; p < 0.001). Patients with severe MIH (59.6 ± 11.0) reported significantly worse OHRQoL than patients with mild MIH (63.6 ± 9.1; p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: MIH has a significant negative impact on the children's OHRQoL. Patients with severe MIH experience a greater negative impact on OHRQoL than those diagnosed with mild MIH. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: MIH is one of the major dental problems of our time; pediatric dentists should be aware of its impact on the OHRQoL of the patient.

Oral Health Literacy in Migrant and Ethnic Minority Populations: A Systematic Review.

Cultural background influences how migrants and ethnic minority populations view and assess health. Poor oral health literacy (OHL) may be a hindrance in achieving good oral health. This systematic review summarizes the current quantitative evidence regarding OHL of migrants and ethnic minority populations. The PubMed database was searched for original quantitative studies that explore OHL as a holistic multidimensional construct or at least one of its subdimensions in migrants and ethnic minority populations. 34 publications were selected. Only 2 studies specifically addressed OHL in migrant populations. Generally, participants without migration background had higher OHL than migrant and ethnic minority populations. The latter showed lower dental service utilization, negative oral health beliefs, negative oral health behavior, and low levels of oral health knowledge. Due to its potential influence on OHL, oral health promoting behavior, attitudes, capabilities, and beliefs as well as the cultural and ethnic background of persons should be considered in medical education and oral health prevention programs.

Patient Preferred and Perceived Control in Dental Care Decision Making.

INTRODUCTION: Shared decision making is increasingly considered the most desirable model for making decisions in medical and dental settings. It supports patients by empowering them to play an active role in the decision-making process. However, dental patients' involvement needs and perceptions have not yet been sufficiently assessed. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to assess patients' preferred roles in decision making for a range of dental treatments and whether patients' preferences are being met. METHODS: Based on a cross-sectional study design, dental patients' autonomy preferences and actual perceived roles were surveyed in the context of existing dental appointments in a consecutive sample of 101 adult dental patients (aged 20 to 79 y). The questionnaire for the assessment of patient preferred and perceived roles in dental decision making consisted of 14 items, each representing a decision in the broad spectrum of preventive and restorative dental treatment planning, and was administered before the dental appointment and immediately afterward. Responses for each item were indicated on an ordinal 5-point scale, which was adapted from the Control Preference Scale. Differences in overall levels of control and responses for each decision were tested for statistical significance per the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test. Furthermore, a multilevel mixed effects linear regression model was computed. RESULTS: Patients rated their preferred role in decision making more active and involved than their perceived role. This effect was observed and statistically significant ( P < 0.05) for 11 of 14 treatment decisions. Perceived roles (follow-up) matched the preferred roles (baseline) for less than half of patients. None of the sociodemographic characteristics had a substantial statistical effect on whether perceived roles matched the preferred roles. CONCLUSION: Dental patients' perceived roles in decision making do not meet their preferences. Dentists should allow and encourage their patients to be more active in decision making. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: Since dental patients' perceived roles in decision making do not meet their preferences, clinicians should encourage and enable their dental patients to fulfill the role in decision making that they prefer. This may help in the future to not only fulfill the right of patients to be informed but also empower them to play an active role in the decision-making process and reduce the risk of decisional conflicts.

Survival and Complications of Single Dental Implants in the Edentulous Mandible Following Immediate or Delayed Loading: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

It was the aim of this 24-mo randomized controlled clinical trial to investigate whether the survival of a single median implant placed in the edentulous mandible to retain a complete denture is not compromised by immediate loading. Secondary outcomes were differences in prosthetic complications between the loading principles. Each of the 158 patients who received an implant was randomly assigned to the immediate loading group ( n = 81) or the delayed loading group ( n = 77). Recall visits were performed 1 mo after implant placement (for only the delayed loading group) and 1, 4, 12, and 24 mo after implant loading. Nine implants failed in the immediate loading group, all within the first 3 mo of implant loading, and 1 implant failed in the delayed loading group prior to loading. Noninferiority of implant survival of the immediate loading group, as compared with the delayed loading group, could not be shown ( P = 0.81). Consistent with this result, a secondary analysis with Fisher exact test revealed that the observed difference in implant survival between the treatment groups was indeed statistically significant ( P = 0.019). The most frequent prosthetic complications and maintenance interventions in the mandible were retention adjustments, denture fractures, pressure sores, and matrix exchanges. There was only 1 statistically significant difference between the groups regarding the parameter "fracture of the denture base in the ball attachment area" ( P = 0.007). The results indicate that immediate loading of a single implant in the edentulous mandible reveals inferior survival than that of delayed loading and therefore should be considered only in exceptional cases (German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00003730).

Genetic Susceptibility Contributing to Periodontal and Cardiovascular Disease.

Periodontal disease (PD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are common diseases characterized by an overaggressive inflammatory response to diverse stimuli. Whereas PD leads to destruction of the tooth-supporting structures, CAD is a chronic inflammatory condition ultimately causing myocardial infarction via narrowing and occluding of blood vessels. Classical twin studies led to the conclusion that both complex diseases have a similar degree of heritability and that a significant fraction of the genetic factors accounting for this heritability is shared. Recent genome-wide association and large-scale candidate gene studies highlight that variations in >50 genes are associated with premature CAD, while variations in only 4 genes showing nominally significant associations with aggressive periodontitis and/or chronic periodontitis have so far been identified. Remarkably, 3 of the PD loci (75%) show shared associations with CAD ( ANRIL/CDKN2B-AS1, PLG, CAMTA1/VAMP3), suggesting involvement of common pathogenic mechanisms. In this critical review, we highlight recent progress in identifying genetic markers and variants associated with PD, present their overlap with CAD, and discuss functional aspects. In addition, we answer why a significant fraction of the heritability of PD is still missing, and we suggest approaches that may be taken to close the gap.

Clinical instruments and methods for assessing physical oral health: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed at exploring available clinical instruments and methods for assessing physical oral health, and at identifying those with sufficient diagnostic performance. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted in Embase and MEDLINE. Identified instruments and methods were critically appraised, and quality of diagnostic performance was rated by two independent reviewers as A (sufficient diagnostic performance), B (either sufficient reliability or validity) or C (insufficient quality, or empirical results unsatisfactory and/or inconsistent). For all A-rated instruments and methods, an in-depth literature search was conducted to supplement and verify their effectiveness and accuracy. RESULTS: A total of 141 instruments and methods were identified. Only 12 methods with sufficient diagnostic performance could be rated as A, 72 were rated as B, and 34 received a C-rating. Further 23 instruments and methods could not be rated due to lack of available information on diagnostic performance. Of all A-rated instruments, six were designed for tooth structure, two for periodontium, one for endodontium and three for temporomandibular joints and muscles. CONCLUSION: Even though some instruments and methods exhibited good to excellent reliability and validity and can be recommended for research and clinical practice, they do not allow assessing all components of physical oral health. There is a need to identify and define standard instruments, and for components of physical oral health where methods with sufficient diagnostic performance are lacking, further research is required.

The relationship between global and specific components of quality of life, assessed with the EORTC QLQ-C30 in a sample of 2019 cancer patients.

Quality of life (QoL) is impaired in many cancer patients. The aim of this study was to test whether detriments in QoL were less pronounced in global assessments of QoL compared to more specific components. A total of 2059 cancer patients with mixed diagnoses were examined 6 months after discharge from a cancer rehabilitation clinic. QoL was measured with the EORTC QLQ-C30, which contains a global QoL scale, and 14 functioning and symptom scales and symptom items. A sample of the general population (n = 4476) served as controls. Regression analyses were performed to calculate expected mean scores for the patients, based on their age and gender distribution. Global QoL in the cancer sample (M = 69.3) was nearly equal to that of the general population, while the mean scores of all functioning scales, symptom scales and symptom items showed markedly worse QoL. This general relationship between global and specific QoL was found for seven of eight cancer types. The results indicate that global QoL is not the sum of its parts. This should be considered when treatment effects on QoL are examined. One alternative is to use higher order summarising functioning and symptom scales.

Patterns of impaired oral health-related quality of life dimensions.

How dental patients are affected by oral conditions can be described with the concept of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). This concept intends to make the patient experience measurable. OHRQoL is multidimensional, and Oral Function, Oro-facial Pain, Oro-facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact were suggested as its four dimensions and consequently four scores are needed for comprehensive OHRQoL assessment. When only the presence of dimensional impact is measured, a pattern of affected OHRQoL dimensions would describe in a simple way how oral conditions influence the individual. By determining which patterns of impact on OHRQoL dimensions exist in prosthodontic patients and general population subjects, we aimed to identify in which combinations oral conditions' functional, painful, aesthetical and psychosocial impact occurs. Data came from the Dimensions of OHRQoL Project with Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-49 data from 6349 general population subjects and 2999 prosthodontic patients in the Learning Sample (N = 5173) and the Validation Sample (N = 5022). We hypothesised that all 16 patterns of OHRQoL dimensions should occur in these individuals who suffered mainly from tooth loss, its causes and consequences. A dimension was considered impaired when at least one item in the dimension was affected frequently. The 16 possible patterns of impaired OHRQoL dimensions were found in patients and general population subjects in both Learning and Validation Samples. In a four-dimensional OHRQoL model consisting Oral Function, Oro-facial Pain, Oro-facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact, oral conditions' impact can occur in any combination of the OHRQoL dimensions.

Confirmatory factor analysis of the Oral Health Impact Profile.

Previous exploratory analyses suggest that the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) consists of four correlated dimensions and that individual differences in OHIP total scores reflect an underlying higher-order factor. The aim of this report is to corroborate these findings in the Dimensions of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (DOQ) Project, an international study of general population subjects and prosthodontic patients. Using the project's Validation Sample (n = 5022), we conducted confirmatory factor analyses in a sample of 4993 subjects with sufficiently complete data. In particular, we compared the psychometric performance of three models: a unidimensional model, a four-factor model and a bifactor model that included one general factor and four group factors. Using model-fit criteria and factor interpretability as guides, the four-factor model was deemed best in terms of strong item loadings, model fit (RMSEA = 0·05, CFI = 0·99) and interpretability. These results corroborate our previous findings that four highly correlated factors - which we have named Oral Function, Oro-facial Pain, Oro-facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact - can be reliably extracted from the OHIP item pool. However, the good fit of the unidimensional model and the high interfactor correlations in the four-factor solution suggest that OHRQoL can also be sufficiently described with one score.

Exploratory factor analysis of the Oral Health Impact Profile.

Although oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) as measured by the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) is thought to be multidimensional, the nature of these dimensions is not known. The aim of this report was to explore the dimensionality of the OHIP using the Dimensions of OHRQoL (DOQ) Project, an international study of general population subjects and prosthodontic patients. Using the project's Learning Sample (n = 5173), we conducted an exploratory factor analysis on the 46 OHIP items not specifically referring to dentures for 5146 subjects with sufficiently complete data. The first eigenvalue (27·0) of the polychoric correlation matrix was more than ten times larger than the second eigenvalue (2·6), suggesting the presence of a dominant, higher-order general factor. Follow-up analyses with Horn's parallel analysis revealed a viable second-order, four-factor solution. An oblique rotation of this solution revealed four highly correlated factors that we named Oral Function, Oro-facial Pain, Oro-facial Appearance and Psychosocial Impact. These four dimensions and the strong general factor are two viable hypotheses for the factor structure of the OHIP.

The reliability of computerized condylar path angle assessment.

Recording the track of the mandibular hinge axis and consequently ascertaining the posterior determinants is one of the key requirements for accurately simulating individual oral conditions in the (virtual) articulator. The aim of this study was to determine the reliability of computerized condylar path inclination angle (CPIA) measures and to assess whether the reliability depends on the mandibular dentition. Sagittal and transverse CPIA were measured using computerized axiography (Cadiax Compact 2) at two separate sessions in prosthodontic patients (mean age +/- SD: 64.3 +/- 10.3 years; female: 45%) who were classified into three dentition categories (fully dentate: N = 19, partially dentate: N = 27 and edentulous: N = 19). These measurements were repeated three times at both sessions without removing the computerized axiograph. Reliability was assessed in multilevel analyses using the subject as a grouping variable in linear random-intercept models. Considering all assessment procedures, the patient-specific differences explained 75% of the variance for the sagittal and 38% for the transverse condylar path. This corresponds to the overall reliability of both the sagittal and the transverse CPIA assessment. The dentition had no significant impact on the reliability of the measurements. The sagittal CPIA can be assessed with satisfactory reliability using computerized axiography. It is independent of the status of the dentition, which has no statistically significant impact on the measures. Transverse CPIA measurements have shown poor reliability. Therefore, the electronic determination of the sagittal CPIA is a reliable procedure that can be applied in patients irrespective of the status of the mandibular dentition.

Development and validation of the Burdens in Oral Surgery Questionnaire (BiOS-Q).

Patients' perspective is increasingly re-cognised as an important outcome measure in oral surgery. However, how patients perceive the surgical treatment cannot be assessed currently. This would be an important indicator for process-related quality of care. It was the aim to develop and to validate an instrument for the assessment of patient-based measures of process-related quality of care in oral surgery. The new Burdens in Oral Surgery Questionnaire (BiOS-Q) was developed in two steps in patients undergoing oral surgery. First, an item pool was created using semi-structured interviews in 90 patients. Second, a preliminary version was applied in 297 consecutively recruited patients to assess redundancy, completion rates, face validity, difficulty and distribution. Psychometric properties of the final version of the questionnaire were evaluated. The BiOS-Q consists of 16 items and showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0·84) and excellent test-retest reliability (ICC = 0·90). The questionnaire's mean score was significantly correlated with dentists' burdens (r = 0·44) and patients' overall satisfaction (r = 0·39) indicating sufficient validity. The BiOS-Q is a reliable and valid instrument for the assessment of patient-based process-related quality of care in oral surgery.

Improved perceived general health is observed with prosthodontic treatment.

OBJECTIVES: Prosthodontic treatment affects not only oral health, but also general health. However, whether prosthodontic patients actually perceive a change in their general health has not been well studied. This study aims to compare self-reported general-health status in patients before and after prosthodontic treatment. METHODS: Self-reported general-health status was measured using a single-item questionnaire in a consecutive sample of 500 prosthodontic patients. Responses were recorded using a five-point scale ranging from "poor" to "excellent." RESULTS: After treatment, patients' self-reported general-health status was slightly but statistically significantly improved. Perceived general health improved in 2.3% of patients treated with fixed partial dentures, in 11.3% of patients treated with removable partial dentures, and in 4.1% of patients treated with complete dentures. Changes in self-reported general-health status were not related to age or gender. CONCLUSION: Prosthodontic treatment appears to have a positive effect on perceived general health.

[An abbreviated version of RDC/TMD]. / Eine Kurzversion der RDC/TMD.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to develop a short diagnostic test for pain-related craniomandibular disorders (CMD) based on the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Participants included 1,177 CMD patients and 896 general population subjects who were examined according to the RDC/TMD. This new diagnostic short test consisted of a combination of the least amount of RDC/TMD items that distinguished between patients and subjects with a sensitivity of > or =70% and a specificity of > or =90%. The diagnostic test items were selected from all available RDC/TMD items using best subset logistic regression. RESULTS: The question about the presence of facial pain achieved a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 95%. The lower limits of the confidence interval for test accuracy measures exceeded the postulated thresholds specified for test development. Assuming a CMD pain prevalence of 10% in the general population this short test resulted in a positive predictive value of 80% and a negative predictive value of >99%. CONCLUSION: A single question about facial pain is a strong predictor for a pain-related CMD disorder and could provide an effective CMD short test.

[Is temporomandibular joint (TMJ) clicking a risk factor for pain in the affected TMJ]. / Ist Kiefergelenkknacken ein Risikofaktor für Schmerzen im Kiefergelenk?

AIMS: To investigate the association between TMJ clicking and pain in the affected TMJ. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study a total of 454 consecutive patients seeking treatment for their pain in the region of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or the masticatory muscles were recruited. Patients were examined using the German version of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMJ-G). Clicking in the clinical examination was considered the potential risk factor (exposure). The outcome was pain in the TMJ. To characterize the exposure-outcome association, a relative risk was calculated using a stratified analysis (Mantel-Haenszel method). RESULT: The relative risk of developing pain in the TMJ due to joint clicking was 0.9 (95% confidence interval: 0.8-1.1). Thus, no association between clinical TMJ clicking and pain in the affected TMJ could be found. CONCLUSION: Based on these results, TMJ clicking requires no treatment to prevent pain in the affected TMJ.