Objective: This study aims to evaluate the impact of polydiastema on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in adolescent patients and their parents/caregivers. The Turkish versions of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ) and Parental-Caregivers Perceptions Questionnaire (P-CPQ) were used to assess patient and parental perceptions. Material and Methods: The study included 59 polydiastema patients (12-18 years) with complete permanent dentition and their parents/caregivers, recruited from Ordu University Faculty of Dentistry Orthodontics Clinic. Participants completed validated CPQ (39 questions) and P-CPQ (35 questions) questionnaires assessing oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well-being, and social well-being. The Likert-based questionnaires associate lower scores with better OHRQoL. Data were analyzed using SPSS, with p<0.05 considered significant. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, Spearman's correlation analysis, and multivariate analysis of variance. The study was approved by the Ordu University Clinical Research Ethics Committee (no: 2024/17). Results: Patients' mean CPQ score was 70.9, with social well-being (23.3), emotional well-being (18.0), functional limitations (16.7), and oral symptoms (12.8) being the most affected domains. Parents/caregivers' mean P-CPQ score was lower at 59.1, with significant differences in functional limitations, emotional and social well-being, and total scores (p<0.05). Patients' overall well-being showed strong correlations with all CPQ subscales (p<0.001). Conclusion: Polydiastema significantly impacts adolescents' social and emotional OHRQoL, with patients perceiving greater effects than parents/caregivers. The findings underscore the importance of multidisciplinary treatment approaches and integrating both patient and parental perspectives in managing polydiastema.
Alpaydin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.