Quality of life after oral and maxillofacial surgery procedures

In this thesis the impact of oral and maxillofacial procedures on patients’ oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) was assessed. The OHIP-14 questionnaires as a measure of OHRQoL was used in clinical oral and maxillofacial practice to assess the effects of different surgical procedures on patients’ postoperative subjective experience.
In the first part of the thesis patients’ physical and psychological responses to local anesthesia for the surgical removal of a third molar was measured. Subsequently, the effect of low-level laser light therapy (LLLT) on the injection site, prior to local anesthesia before the removal of a third molars was assessed.
The clinical studies consisted of a cross-over study and a randomized study design to obtain data on OHRQoL, postoperative pain and complications after removal of the mandibular third molar using iodine-tampon packing versus irrigation of the extraction socket with water.
The outpatient clinical studies were completed with OHIP-14 data of our patients in the first postoperative week after a coronectomy of impacted mandibular third molars and an assessment of the effect of periapical surgery on the OHRQoL in the first postoperative week. Finally, the impact of orthognathic surgery on OHRQoL in patients with different dentofacial deformities was investigated.