A Comparison of Impact of Chronic Periodontal Diseases and Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of chronic periodontal diseases (PDs) and compare phases of nonsurgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients attending a tertiary care center of eastern Nepal. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Matched for socioeconomic status, participants were recruited in two groups: moderate-to-severe chronic periodontitis (n = 24, 43 ± 46 years) and chronic gingivitis (n = 25, 30 ± 96 years). The treatment modalities were scaling and root surface debridement (RSD) and supragingival scaling, respectively. The impact of periodontal disease treatment status was assessed by a self-reported questionnaire of Nepali Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) at baseline and 9–12 weeks after NSPT. RESULTS: The median (IQR) OHIP-14 total scores for PDs reduced from 7 (3–11) to 3 (1–7.5) after NSPT. Both groups showed a significant improvement on OHRQoL (p value < 0.001). The periodontitis group showed an increased median (IQR) reduction of 52% (35.22–86.15) compared with the gingivitis group with 27% (0.00–50.00). The impact on orofacial pain, orofacial appearance, and psychosocial dimensions was observed, which improved after NSPT in both groups. CONCLUSION: PDs are directly associated with OHRQoL and treatment of the disease may enhance quality of life from a patient's perspective. Scaling and RSD provided better influence on OHRQoL than supragingival scaling.