Oral health-related quality of life and its associated factors in an Indian adult population

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to describe oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and its associated factors in an Indian adult population. Materials and Methods: Four hundred and fourteen general dental patients completed the Indian translations of the oral health impact profile (OHIP)-14 and the general health questionnaire (GHQ)-12 through personal interviews. A clinical examination was also performed for dental caries, gingivitis and plaque levels. Results: Sufficient reliability (∝ = 0.85) and construct validity were demonstrated for the questionnaire. The mean decayed, missing or filled teeth of the study population was 6.93 and the mean gingival index and plaque index scores were 1.07 and 1.06, respectively. Caries status and the number of missing teeth were found to be significantly correlated with most of the subdomains of the OHIP-14. The GHQ-12 scores were also significantly correlated with the 'functional limitation' and 'psychological disability' domains of the OHIP-14. Higher OHIP-14 scores were associated with higher dental anxiety. Females perceived a higher sense of 'social handicap' and 'handicap' due to their oral status than males. It was also found that patients with caries and missing teeth had higher GHQ-12 scores. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that caries status, psychological distress and dental anxiety had an important effect on the OHRQoL.