ABSTRACT
The impact of oral health on quality of life is one aspect when it comes to understanding the significance of oral health. The aim of this study was to analyse the self-reported oral discomfort and clinical status of individuals reporting oral problems never/very seldom affecting quality of life during the last year and compare them with individuals who reported oral problems hardly ever/occasionally or often/very often during the the same period. The study comprised a stratified random sample of 515 individuals who lived in four parishes in the City of Jonköping, Sweden, and turned 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 years of age in 2003. The impact of oral health on quality of life was examined using the OHIP-14 questionnaire. The individuals were also examined clinically and radiographically. Of the participants, 21% reported no experience of impaired quality of life and 20% of the individuals reported that they had experienced impaired quality of life often or very often during the last year. The highest frequency of oral problems was found among individuals aged 20 and 80 years. Subjective symptoms, such as grinding/clenching and headache, were found among 20- and 30-year-olds. Edentulous individuals and individuals with many missing teeth, individuals with severe periodontal disease or subjective dry mouth answered that they experienced problems according to the OHIP-14 often or very often. A number of individuals, young and old, had thus experienced subjective or clinically verified oral conditions associated with a negative experience of quality of life. This complementary information will provide a deeper understanding of the importance of oral health in the population.
Subject(s)
Mouth Diseases/psychology , Oral Health , Quality of Life/psychology , Self Report , Tooth Diseases/psychology , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Attitude to Health , Bruxism/psychology , DMF Index , Dental Plaque Index , Female , Headache/psychology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Mouth, Edentulous/psychology , Periodontal Diseases/psychology , Periodontal Index , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Tooth Loss/psychology , Xerostomia/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of the traditional multidimensional health locus of control (MHLC) scale, a corresponding dental health locus of control (DHLC) scale and dental health values (DHVs) regarding students' dental health before and after a video programme that presented information about dental diseases and instructions on oral hygiene. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 217 university students participated in this study. Before the video programme was presented, assessments were made of MHLC, DHLC and DHVs. Plaque and gingival indices were obtained in a clinical examination conducted before (plaque index [PLI] 1 and gingival index [GI] 1) and 10 weeks after (PLI 2 and GI 2) the presentation of the programme. RESULTS: The percentage of tooth surfaces exhibiting plaque and of sites involving gingivitis decreased and was statistically significant between baseline and re-examination for both males and females. The females exhibited statistically significant better PLI 1 and GI 1 values and stronger DHVs than males. Also, better GI 1 values were found to be statistically significant and related to stronger DHVs for females. A stronger trust in the dental health personnel regarding the dental health was related to more gingivitis at the initial examination (GI 1). For males, stronger internal DHLC was related to more plaque at the final examination (PLI 2). CONCLUSION: The only psychological scales that showed some relationship to the measures of dental health were DHLC and DHVs. Gender was the strongest related variable to dental health.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Dental Plaque/prevention & control , Gingivitis/prevention & control , Health Behavior , Internal-External Control , Oral Hygiene/psychology , Adult , Dental Plaque/psychology , Female , Gingivitis/psychology , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Status , Humans , Male , Oral Health , Oral Hygiene/education , Patient Education as Topic , Predictive Value of Tests , Program Evaluation , Psychometrics , Reference Values , Social Desirability , Students/psychology , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Oral health has a major impact on general quality of life. The aspects of oral health that are most important for each individual vary, and quality of life is a construct and not a measurable variable. The aim of this study was to describe the impact of oral health on quality of life in an adult Swedish population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised a stratified random sample of 519 individuals. The OHIP-14 questionnaire was used and the answers were rated on a scale of 0-4. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent of the respondents stated that they had no oral problems related to well-being, and 79% had some form of problem related to quality of life. The mean value for the entire population was 6.4 (SD = 7.1); 5.9 (SD = 7.1) for men and 6.8 (SD = 7.2) for women. Of individuals who stated that they had oral problems, the majority were women aged 20 years. Nineteen percent of 30-year-old men and 53% of 70-year-old women stated that they had had problems that had made life less satisfactory. Individuals who frequently experienced problems related to oral health, with scores of 16-41 points, accounted for 10%. CONCLUSION: In this Swedish population, a number of individuals, young and old, experienced oral problems that had an impact on their well-being.
Subject(s)
Dental Health Surveys , Mouth Diseases/psychology , Oral Health , Population Surveillance , Quality of Life , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Analysis of Variance , Cost of Illness , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Regression Analysis , Statistics, Nonparametric , Sweden , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of dry mouth conditions on oral health-related quality of life in frail old people, residents at community care centers. Further, reliability and validity of a visual analogue scale (VAS) for dry mouth symptoms were determined within the study cohort. BACKGROUND: In old people functional, social and psychological impacts of oral conditions are associated with an overall sense of well being and general health. Subjective dry mouth and reduced saliva flow are common disorders in old people caused by disease and medication. Thus, dry mouth conditions may be determinants for compromised oral health-related quality of life in old people. METHOD: In total, 50 old people living at service homes for the old people were asked to answer questionnaires on subjective dry mouth (VAS) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP14) for oral health-related quality of life. Saliva flow was estimated by absorbing saliva into a pre-weighed cotton roll. RESULTS: The final study cohort comprised 41 old people (aged 83-91 years). Significant associations were identified between both objective and subjective dry mouth and overall or specific aspects of oral health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION: Dry mouth (objective and subjective) is significantly associated with oral health-related quality of life strengthening the value of monitoring dry mouth conditions in the care of frail old people.
