Oral health-related quality of life: a broader perspective.

It is important to understand how people perceive the impact of oral diseases on their quality of life. Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQOL) is a relatively new but rapidly growing notion. The concept of OHRQOL is particularly significant to 3 areas - clinical practice of dentistry, dental research and dental education. There are different approaches to measure OHRQOL; the most popular one uses multiple item questionnaires. OHRQOL should be the basis for any oral health programme development. Moreover, research at the conceptual level is needed in countries where OHRQOL has not been previously assessed, including the Eastern Mediterranean countries.