Mental Health and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis

Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is one of the most common oral mucosal diseases. The etiology of RAS is unknown, however, some factors are considered to be involved in its occurrence, including genetic factors, trauma, menstruation, stress, anxiety, etc. Mental disorders such as stress and anxiety play a key role in the onset and recurrence of RAS lesions. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of mental health and oral health-related quality of life in patients with RAS.

This case-control study was performed in 270 people, including 135 males and 135 females. The participants were investigated in two groups; the case group (n= 64 with RAS, 30 males and 34 females) and healthy controls (n=105). Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)-14 and General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) were completed by both groups. Data analysis was done in SPSS V24.

Oral health-related quality of life in patients with RAS was significantly lower than the control group in all aspects (P<0.001). Mental health status was significantly different between the case group and controls in all aspects (P<0.001) except depression (P= 0.19).

The present study showed the role of mental health in incidence of recurrent aphthous stomatitis, so paying attention to mental health is recommended along with other factors that cause this condition.