# Assessment of oral health-related quality of life after total temporomandibular joint replacement

## TL;DR

This study shows that total temporomandibular joint replacement improves patients' oral health-related quality of life over time.

## Contribution

The paper provides empirical evidence on the effectiveness of TMJR in improving OHRQoL in advanced TMJ disorder patients.

## Key findings

- Significant improvement in physical pain and disability was observed six months post-surgery.
- Oral health-related quality of life was restored to normal levels after twelve months.
- TMJR is effective when conservative treatments fail for advanced TMJ disorders.

## Abstract

Background: The article addresses the impact of total temporomandibular
joint replacement (TMJR) on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in
patients with advanced temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. TMJ disorder
encompasses a variety of conditions causing pain and dysfunction in the jaw,
peripheral nerves, and TMJ. TMJR is considered a last resort in the surgical
treatment of advanced joint disorders when conservative treatments fail.
Methods: The study followed 10 patients undergoing TMJR and assessed
their oral health-related quality of life using the OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact
Profile-14) questionnaire at different postoperative time points. Results: The results showed a significant improvement in physical pain,
psychological discomfort, and physical disability after six months, with a
restoration of oral health-related quality of life after twelve months.
Conclusions: The research concluded that TMJR treatment can
significantly improve oral health-related quality of life in patients with
advanced TMJ disorder. However, further studies are needed to analyze the
long-term effectiveness of treatment and compare different surgical approaches.