OVERVIEW OF ORAL HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE INDICATORS

Abstract

The instruments that evaluate the health-related quality of life are extremely useful in the medical practice and research since they allow the full approach of patient’s general status. They come in the shape of questionnaires whose usage may be carried out either by creating one’s own questionnaire or by translating one from the literature. Regardless of the chosen method, the questionnaire must meet a series of characteristics that may make it easy to understand and use. In the field of dentistry, indicators falling into several categories have been validated: some of them address the population groups of different ages; others address the evaluation of therapeutic needs while others appreciate the impact determined by the specific oral disorders. Out of the multitude of indicators that may be found in the literature, those that are frequently used in population studies stand out due to their superior psychometric characteristics, limited scales and easy codification possibilities. A special category is represented by the indicators for the assessment of oncologic patient’s life quality, and instruments that explore the diverse facets of this disorder are validated such as post-irradiation sequels, complications of the surgical treatment, and the impact on the general health state. Another utility of these instruments refer to the possibility of identification of the oral disorders and the therapeutic needs in persons that cannot come to the dental office, such as the disabled and the institutionalized elderly.

Keywords

• oral health
• quality of life
• instruments