Periodontitis and Oral Health–Related Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis.

AIM: To investigate the association between periodontitis and oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) in adults, and to compare OHRQoL across different severities of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Searches were conducted in five electronic databases up to December 2023. Observational studies that provided a clear definition of periodontitis and used validated measures of OHRQoL were included. Meta‐analyses were performed both overall and based on factors that could explain heterogeneity between studies. RESULTS: Sixty studies comprising 14,851 individuals were included in the review. Meta‐analyses showed that periodontitis was associated with impaired OHRQoL: any OHRQoL instruments (n = 33 studies; SMD: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.53–0.93), solely using the OHIP‐14 (n = 26 studies; MD: 5.14, 95% CI: 3.64–6.64), and risk assessment (n = 9 studies; adjusted RR: 1.42, 95% CI: 1.12–1.78). Stages III–IV periodontitis had a greater impact than Stages I–II periodontitis. Subgroup and meta‐regression analyses indicated smaller effect size estimates for individuals with comorbidities. CONCLUSIONS: Periodontitis negatively impacts OHRQoL, with a positive score–response relationship found between periodontitis severity and poorer OHRQoL. However, the magnitude of this association appears to be diminished in individuals with comorbidities.