Method: OHRQoL was measured by the Oral Health Impact Profile 14 (OHIP-14) in the socially endangered group (n=294), a control group without tooth loss attending regular dental treatment (n=116), a group of patients with maximum 4 missing teeth in need of a minor fixed dental prosthesis (FDP, n=273), and a group of patients missing more than 4 and maximum 25 teeth in need of a partial removable dental prosthesis (RDP, n=137).
Result: The socially endangered group had the highest OHIP-14 score of all groups and the score was significantly higher, than the score in the control and FDP group (P<0.01). The most frequent problem in the socially endangered group was “pain” followed by “embarrassment” and “uncomfortable eating”. When the 14 problems were ranked according to frequency, “pain”, “tense”, “life less satisfying”, and “diet unsatisfactory” were reported more frequently and “taste worsened”, “irritable”, and “pronunciation” were reported less frequently in the socially endangered group than in the other groups.
Conclusion: OHRQoL of socially endangered persons was impaired to the same degree or more as in patients with multiple tooth loss in need of an RDP and the impairment was most frequently based on pain. The socially endangered group reported more basic oral health problems than the other groups.