Improvement in oral health-related quality of life after endodontic treatment: a prospective longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: To date, evidence of the effectiveness of endodontic treatment and criteria of success have mainly been considered in terms of clinical outcome, and there is a lack of information of treatment outcomes from patients' perspectives. This study aimed to assess changes in quality of life after endodontic treatment and to determine if changes in quality of life were associated with changes in patient-perceived oral health and clinical assessments of success. METHODS: This longitudinal study involved 279 subjects. Patient-reported outcome measures based on oral health-related quality of life was assessed using the short form of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). The patients completed the assessments before endodontic treatment and 1 month and 6 months after root canal obturation. A global oral health transition assessment was ascertained by a single (global) item rating of oral health improvement and clinical assessment mainly based on the Periapical Index (PAI) of periapical radiographs. RESULTS: There were significant changes in OHIP-14 scores over the study period after conventional orthograde endodontic treatment (from pretreatment-6 months postobturation) (P < .001). The magnitude of statistical change (effect size) was moderate (0.61) in the short-term (after 1 month) and large (0.71) in the longer-term (after 6 months). Changes in the OHIP-14 was associated with changes in patient self-rating oral health status (P < .001), which was also associated with changes in PAI scores (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Endodontic treatment improves quality of life. The OHIP-14 measure is both sensitive and responsive to endodontic treatment and is likely to be useful in understanding patients' perspectives of outcomes from endodontic care.

Awareness and attitude of patients' parents toward pulp therapy of the primary teeth: a clinical survey.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The present study was carried out to find out the awareness and attitude of parents of patients, toward the pulpal treatment of primary teeth, visiting a dental hospital in a Bangalore suburban area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 685 parents of the child patients requiring pulp treatment procedures visiting the dental OPD over a period of 18 months were personally interviewed with a questionnaire and their responses were immediately computed. RESULTS: Urban populations seeking dental treatment are more in number as compared to the rural population. Pain and associated feature was the most common reason among both urban (71.92%) and rural (93.3%) patients visiting a dental office. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to create more awareness among the populace of our country about the significance of maintaining a healthy primary dentition and attendant sequalae if not done so.

Oral health related quality of life and its association with sociodemographic and clinical findings in 3 northern outreach clinics.

OBJECTIVE: Aspects of oral health related quality of life (OHQOL) are attracting increased attention in dentistry. Knowledge in this field is limited, especially in terms of significant indicators and predictors of impaired OHQOL. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the influence of various sociodemographic and clinical variables on OHQOL in the setting of outreach clinics in northern Alberta, Canada. METHODS: OHQOL was measured with the 49-item Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-49), administered to adult patients attending 3 dental outreach clinics managed by the University of Alberta. Sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive and multivariable methods. RESULTS: The OHIP-49 scores were comparatively low for a patient sample. After multivariable stepwise logistic regression analysis, only gender, missing anterior teeth and need for endodontic treatment remained as significant variables in the final model for impaired OHQOL. Missing anterior teeth (regardless of replacement) had the strongest effect. Subjects with this feature had an approximately 21-fold greater risk of impaired OHQOL relative to those who retained all of their anterior teeth. CONCLUSIONS: The clientele of these outreach clinics was generally young but had high treatment needs. OHQOL results can be useful in considering treatment strategies in similar rural environments, but the complexity of this indicator necessitates an individual patient-centred approach in clinical decision-making.

A short English version of the Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire.

Fear of dental pain is a highly relevant covariate in dental pain research. The present study was designed to develop a short version of the Fear of Dental Pain questionnaire (FDPQ) in order to facilitate research in this area. The original 18-item FDPQ was translated from Dutch to English, and data from previously published and unpublished studies (all Dutch-speaking subjects) were used to examine psychometric properties (n = 960). A short version was constructed based on psychometric properties and face validity of the items. Five items were selected for a short FDPQ. A strong correlation was found between the original and the short version (r = 0.96). Factor analysis revealed a one-dimensional solution, explaining approximately 76% of the variance, with high internal consistency (alpha = 0.87). The short FDPQ allows rapid identification, by dentists, of patients who may require special attention, longer appointments, and specific dental pain management. In addition, it would assist in the development and evaluation of tailored interventions aimed at this group.

Quality of life and satisfaction outcomes of endodontic treatment.

The purpose of this study was to assess quality of life and satisfaction in relation to endodontic treatment in two Canadian populations and the association of these outcomes with the treatment providers' level of training (generalist or endodontist). New patients aged 25 to 40, presenting at the dental faculties in Toronto and Saskatoon were screened. Patients with radiographically identifiable endodontic treatment were invited for interviews conducted using a questionnaire that measured changes in quality of life after endodontic treatment and semantic differential scales that measured satisfaction with endodontic treatment. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, multiple and logistic regression (p < 0.05), and Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.02). Subjects reported preoperative factors (e.g., pain, sleep disturbances) impacting quality of life, which improved after endodontic treatment, significantly more in the Toronto than in the Saskatoon population. Satisfaction was significantly better when endodontic treatment was provided by endodontists.