Oral health-relatedquality of life inhemimandibulectomypatients with guideflange prosthesis

Aim: To assess the quality of life in patients who have undergone hemimandibulectomy and rehabilitated with a guide flange prosthesis. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted at two time points: immediately after prosthesis delivery and three months after prosthesis use. Forty-four patients who had undergone hemimandibulectomy and were rehabilitated with a guide flange prosthesis were included in the assessment. OHRQol was assessed in these patients using the Obturator Functioning Scale (OFS) and a novel scale Maxillofacial Prosthesis Performance Scale (MFPPS). The scores were obtained 1 week after and 3 months of guide flange prosthesis usage. The data were analyzed using unpaired and paired sample t-tests. Results: After 3 months, the results showed significant improvement with the prosthesis. There was a notable improvement in chewing, swallowing, appearance, and psychological issues. The scores of OFS and MFPPS for mandibular guidance prosthesis after 1 week were 25.48 and 26.82, respectively, and scores after 3 months were 20.28 and 13.16, respectively. Conclusion: The findings of the study show significant improvement in the scores after prosthesis usage in terms of functional, physical, social, and psychological parameters in the patients after following up.