Association between oral health-related quality of life and periodontal status in patients with leukemia

Objective The aim was to evaluate the association between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQol) and periodontal status in patients with leukemia. Methods A total of 55 patients with leukemia (42.09 +/- 16.57 years, 27.3% females) answered the Oral Health Impact Profile, short version (OHIP-14) and underwent a periodontal examination. Associations between periodontal status and total mean OHIP-14 scores were analysed, and the prevalence of high scores was identified for each group. Results A total mean OHIP-14 score of 13.18 was observed for the entire sample. The corresponding total mean OHIP-14 scores for patients with moderate (n = 18), absent/mild (n = 24), and severe periodontitis (n = 13) were 17.11, 12.50, and 9.00 (P = 0.061), respectively. A higher prevalence of high scores was found for the 'feeling ill-at-ease' question (psychological discomfort domain) for absent/mild and moderate periodontitis patients, whereas those with severe periodontitis had higher prevalence on the 'feeling embarrassed' question (psychosocial disability domain). In the adjusted analysis, hospitalisation was associated with higher OHIP-14 scores (beta = 8.49; 95% CI 1.89-15.08; P = 0.013). Higher OHIP-14 scores were not significantly associated with either patients presenting >15% sites with gingival bleeding or those with moderate/severe periodontitis. Conclusion Leukemia was associated with a negative influence on OHRQoL. However, this association was better explained by the patient's systemic condition than by an impact of its periodontal condition. Nonetheless, patients with leukemia presented with gingivitis and/or periodontitis, pointing to the need for oral health care for these individuals.