Impact of dental self-perception on the quality of life of students at the Catholic University of Cuenca, Azogues in 2018

ABSTRACT

Dental aesthetics is an important factor since it represents a determinant and influential physical stereotype on the individual in different age groups. Young people are particularly vulnerable due to the influence of social media. Thus, there is a greater collective interest in improving the appearance of their smiles, allowing them to improve their interpersonal relationships. Currently, there are several indices to assess quality of life and dental aesthetics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of dental self-perception on the quality of life of students at the Catholic University of Cuenca, Azogues, in 2018. The study included a sample of 189 students; the Aesthetic Oral Health Impact Profile (A-OHIP14) questionnaire was applied. Inferential statistics used chi-squared tests (p<0.05). No statistical significance was found between quality of life according to sex (p=0.246) or age (p=0.132). Regarding the domains, it was reported that psychological discomfort and physical pain has the highest scores (3.15-2.92), while they feeling disadvantaged and social disability had lower scores (1.5-1.56). Male students aged 18 to 21 showed the greatest impact of dental self-perception on quality of life associated with oral health.