Periodontitis stage and grade are associated with poor oral-health-related quality of life: Findings from the Porto Alegre cohort study.

Aim: To determine the association between periodontitis stage and grade with oral-health-related quality of life (OHRQoL).

Materials And Methods: This cohort was derived from the Porto Alegre study. The original sample was representative of more than 3 million inhabitants of a Brazilian urban area. Full-mouth periodontal examinations at six sites per tooth were performed at baseline and 5 years later. Periodontitis grade was determined by direct evidence of progression of attachment loss over the follow-up. Stage of periodontitis and OHRQoL, determined by the oral health impact profile version 14 (OHIP-14), were recorded at the follow-up examination. Mean ratios (MRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated adjusting for age, sex, smoking, systemic diseases, tooth loss, and baseline periodontitis diagnosis.

Results: Five-hundred and ninety-nine individuals were analysed. Individuals with periodontitis grade C + stage II (MR = 1.49; 95% CI = 1.08-2.04) and stages III/IV (MR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.25-2.66) had significantly higher OHIP scores than those without periodontitis or with periodontitis stage I/grade B. Individuals with periodontitis stages II and III/IV + grade B did not differ from those without periodontitis or with periodontitis stage I/grade B.

Conclusion: Severity and progression rate of periodontitis are associated with poor OHRQoL.