Self-perceived oral health, satisfaction with overall health and quality of life comparisons between patients with oral lichen planus and their matched controls

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is one of the most prevalent oral mucosal diseases. Aims: The aim of this study is to compare the quality of life, self-perceived oral health, satisfaction with health, and their potential predictors in OLP patients and their matched controls. Materials and methods: The study included 132 cases and 133 controls matched to cases by age, gender, and urbanization. The information about disease-related outcomes and predictors was acquired from a structured questionnaire and supplemented with interviews. Results: OLP patients had worse self-perceived oral health and lower quality of life and were less satisfied with their health as compared to their matched controls. The worse self-reported oral health was predicted by having OLP (OR = 3.9), oral disease’s negative impact on daily life (OR = 3.0), and disease’s impediment to eating (OR = 3.8). Lower satisfaction with overall health was predicted by having multiple systemic conditions (OR = 1.4) and reporting an oral disease’s negative impact on daily life (OR = 2.6). The only significant predictor for dissatisfaction with the quality of life was reporting the oral disease’s negative impact on daily life (OR = 2.4). Conclusion: Oral disease’s negative impact on daily life was a significant predictor for all three-study outcomes: worse self-reported oral health, lower satisfaction with overall health, and lower quality of life.