Do Coping Strategies Determine Denture Success to Improve Oral Health Related Quality of Life?

Objectives: Cross-sectional data suggest a relationship between coping strategies and oral health related quality of life (OHQoL) in conventional denture wearers. The aim of this research was to observe if the coping strategies of patients determined denture success and to identify clinical and psychosocial determinants of successful subjective oral health outcomes in denture wearers.
Methods: Prospective cohort study of 191 patients receiving new conventional dentures in a university dental hospital based in India. Coping strategies (Brief COPE), OHQoL (OHIP-EDENT), denture satisfaction (de Liz Pocztaruk scale), chewing ability (Leake’s Chewing index), concern about oral health (scale based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs), ageing expectations (ERA-12), stress (PSS-4) were measured at baseline and after a three month follow-up, together with clinical examination, subjective (McArthur SES) and objective socio-economic status (SES) (income, education, caste) at baseline. Analysis used lagged stepwise multiple regression analysis guided by the Wilson and Cleary model linking clinical variables to quality of life.

Results: Participants’ mean age was 58.5 years (range 27-85). 62.8% were males and most were from a lower socioeconomic background (65% < high school education; 60% unemployed/retired; 74.1% from lower castes). In the lagged analysis, denture wearers’ baseline clinical status: number of teeth present (OHQoL - β = -0.277) (Chewing ability -β = -0.163) and number of occluding pairs (Denture satisfaction- β = -0.239) predicted successful denture outcomes at 3 month follow- up. However, coping strategies was not significantly linked to any outcomes.

Conclusion: These data offer longitudinal evidence that certain clinical factors (number of teeth, occluding pairs) predict successful outcomes in patients receiving new dentures. Patient’s coping strategies was not associated with denture success.