Effect of third molar surgery on oral health-related quality of life in the first postoperative week using Dutch version of oral health impact profile-14

Purpose: The present study investigated the effect of third molar surgery on oral health-related quality of life, related to pain and clinical variables, in the first postoperative week using the Dutch version of the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile.
Materials and Methods: A total of 50 patients, referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the Academic Medical Center for surgical removal of their impacted third molars, were included in this study. The patients answered the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 pre- and postoperatively and questions about pain in the postoperative week. The pre- and postoperative complications, as well as the number of molars removed, were measured.
Results: A significant increase in the mean total and subscale scores was found (reduced quality of life). The presence of pre- or postoperative complications increased the effect on quality of life. No differences in the effect on quality of life could be shown between patients having 1 or 2 molars extracted.
Conclusions: The results of our study have shown that the short-term consequences of third molar surgery have a strong effect on patients' quality of life. Experiencing postoperative complications substantially amplifies this effect.