Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) depending on dental and periodontal health of different patients before and after liver transplantation (pre- and postLTx) compared to a healthy control group (HC).
Methods: OHRQoL was rated using the German short form of Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP G14). To estimate dental health, the decayed (D-T), missing (M-T), and filled (F-T) teeth index (DMF-T) was used. Periodontal health was classified as healthy/mild, moderate, or severe periodontitis. The following statistics are used: Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, chi-square test, and Fisher test (α = 5%).
Results: A total of 24 preLTx, 47 postLTx, and 75 HC patients were included. Significant differences in DMF-T, D-T, M-T, and F-T scores were detected between groups (p < 0.001). Prevalence of periodontitis was comparable between groups (p = 0.340). OHRQoL was reduced in pre- and postLTx (OHIP G14 preLTx 4.2 [1.5; 0-4.0], postLTx 4.1 [1; 0-5.0], HC 1.4 [0; 0-2.0]; p = 0.003), without associations to their oral status (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: These preliminary findings show a reduced OHRQoL without associations to their oral status, which might indicate an influence of potential disease-related factors on OHRQoL. Further studies with larger groups are necessary to verify this observation.
Clinical relevance: A special dental care of patients before and after LTx is needed, including a comprehensive assessment of the individual patient's OHRQoL.
Keywords: Dental care; Liver transplantation; Oral health; Oral-related quality of life; Periodontitis.