Instruments for Assessing the Impact of Periodontal Disease on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Aim: the objective of this study was to carry out a narrative review of the instruments for assessing quality of life in periodontal patients, as well as to detail their characteristics, main and specific purposes, and limitations. Methodology: An electronic search was conducted in the PubMed, VHL, and Web of Science databases from July to September 2021. Using specific descriptors, the search included observational studies that evaluated the quality of life in adult periodontal patients (ages 18 to 60), dentate and without comorbidities. Each instrument was reviewed, and its main psychometric characteristics were highlighted. Results: According to the eligibility criteria, the search identified 3,669 studies, among which 126 were selected for this literature review. The most used instrument to assess the impact of periodontal disease on quality of life was the OHIP-14 (n=83, 60.48%), followed by a combination of instruments (n=10, 12.6%) and the modified OHIP (n=9, 11.34%). Conclusion: The OHIP-14 is the most used instrument to assess the quality of life of periodontal patients; however, as it is a generic instrument, the need to develop a specific tool for periodontal diseases is substantial for better understanding and increased validity of findings in these studies.