Page 148 - Demo

AbstractPurpose: The objective of this study was to assess the impact of orthognathic surgery for dental facial deformities on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in the immediate postoperative period up to at least 1 year after surgery. Methods: This prospective study evaluated data from 85 patients. OHRQoL was assessed using the Dutch version of the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14NL) preoperatively (T0), each day for 7 days postoperatively (T1-T7), 4 weeks (T8), 6 months (T9), and at least 1 year (T10) after surgery. The total OHIP score was calculated for each patient, with higher OHIP scores indicating a worse impact on oral health. The patients also completed an extra questionnaire about self-care, discomfort, and experienced pain (rated on a 10-point scale) in the postoperative period (T1-T10).Results: The mean OHIP score increased sharply at T1 compared to T0, but it decreased significantly in the first postoperative week. The mean OHIP score at T8 was still higher than before surgery. However, at T9 and T10 the mean OHIP score was significantly lower than at T0 (P < .05). No significant difference in OHIP score was found between gender, age, type of surgery, or indication for surgery. Pain significantly decreased from T6 compared to T10. The OHIP and pain scores significantly positively correlated at every time point except T9. Conclusion: The findings indicate that OHRQoL is reduced from baseline in the immediate postoperative period but improves over time. By 1 year, OHRQoL improves significantly after orthognathic surgery in patients with different dentofacial deformities.