The Potential Role of Dental Patient-Reported Outcomes (dPROs) in Evidence-Based Prosthodontics and Clinical Care: A Narrative Review

Oral health problems are associated with poor quality of life, with the potential to cause functional, aesthetic, nutritional, and psychological difficulties, in addition to pain and suffering. Traditionally, dental treatment outcomes are measured using purely clinical parameters; however, this may be ineffective as these parameters cannot adequately capture the full impact of poor oral health on the patient, or their respective coping strategies. From this perspective, there are significant benefits when the patient’s perception of their care is considered, and included in treatment planning and delivery. The impacts perceived by the patient on their treatment outcomes can be measured using patient-reported outcomes (PROS), or more specifically with dPROS, focused on dental patient-reported outcomes. Although there are some instruments available for measuring these outcomes in clinical trials, very little information is available for explaining the context in which these outcomes are considered, and also how to capture this information using appropriate instruments, specially in evidence-based dental practice. This article aims to review the literature, seeking to describe what has been considered about assessing patient’s outcomes, as well as how to measure them, and explore the potential benefits of using dPROS in evidence-based prosthodontics and clinical care of partially and fully edentulous patients.