The Impact of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Country-Level Context on Patients with Cirrhosis: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Oral health has a well-established impact on physical and psychological aspects of quality of life. However, evidence on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with cirrhosis remains limited, and whether differences in country-level socioeconomic context influence patients' perceptions has not yet been investigated. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to analyse the impact of OHRQoL and country-level socioeconomic context on patients with cirrhosis. METHODS: This cross-sectional, matched case-control study included 454 patients from Brazil (n=386) and Spain (n=68), comprising patients with cirrhosis (study group-SG) and controls without cirrhosis (CG). Data collection included medical history, clinical oral examination, the decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) index, simplified oral hygiene index (SOHI), gingival index (GI), periodontal status, and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). RESULTS: SG patients showed unsatisfactory SOHI (65.20%), gingivitis (75.33%) and periodontal disease (53.37%). Brazilian patients had a higher DMFT (18±6.32) compared to Spanish ones (10.2±8.86) (P