To explore the association between periodontal disease and quality of life in British adults, independently of demographic factors, socioeconomic position and other common oral conditions. This is a cross-sectional study of 3122 dentate adults who participated in the 1998 Adult Dental Health Survey in the United Kingdom. The short-form oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) was used to assess oral health-related quality of life. Periodontal disease was defined as having at least two proximal sites with loss of attachment 4mm and one proximal site with pocket depth 4mm, not necessarily on the same tooth. The association between periodontal disease and the OHIP-14 score was assessed in unadjusted, partially adjusted and fully adjusted models. Periodontal disease was associated with the OHIP-14 score (rate ratio: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.16-1.38), even after adjustment for demographic factors (sex, age and English region or country), socioeconomic position (educational attainment and household income) and clinical conditions (number of teeth, partial denture use, dental caries, traumatic dental injuries and tooth wear). Periodontal disease was associated with quality of life, independent of socio-demographic characteristics and other conditions present in the mouth. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.