Denture Problems and the Quality of Life in a Dutch Elderly Population

The quality of complete dentures among the Dutch elderly population is often rather poor. Besides, complaints are frequently reported. It is unclear whether these denture problems affect the quality of life. In this study the relationship between the presence of denture problems and the perceived quality of life was considered. Thirty-one edentulous individuals, over 55 yr of age, were interviewed and clinically examined. The results show a significant relationship between the denture variables "quality", "satisfaction" and "complaints". Quality of life is weakly correlated with the quality of the dentures, but not with the other main denture variables. Some implications of these findings are briefly discussed.