Oral Health Impact on Life Quality in Young Adults at Dental University Clinics

Díaz-Cárdenas, Shyrley; Meisser-Vidal, Madera Anaya; Tirado-Amador, Lesbia Rosa; Fortich-Mesa, Natalia; Tapias-Torrado, Liliana; González-Martínez, Farith Damián

Summary

The aim of this study is to associate oral health status and quality of life in adults treated at university dental clinics in Cartagena, Colombia second semester 2013. Cross-sectional analytical study, in 400 young and mature adults (20-59 years) attending dental clinics University and the University Corporation Cartagena Rafael Nunez and distributed equally between the two institutions; a validated instrument was applied to investigate for sociodemographic variables and the General Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) evaluating the impact of oral health on quality of life (CVRSB); oral exam was performed to evaluate the number of teeth, presence of dental caries and plaque, root fragments, dental calculus and seals. Data were analyzed by frequency and proportion, taking confidence intervals of 95 %, significance of relationships between variables by means of chi-square, risk estimation through OR, and logistic regression model with a confidence level of 95 %. 66.7 % of participants were women and were at the stage of mature adulthood with 54.7 %, with an average age of 44.6 years (SD= 13.7). 60.2 % (95 % CI 55-65) had a low impact of oral health on quality of life, followed by a high impact with 33.2 %. We found associations between low levels of schooling (p=0.000; OR=2.4; IC 95 %= 1.6-3.8), social security (p=0.0.02; OR=1.9; IC 95 %= 1.2-2.8), presence of less than 19 teeth (p=0.000; OR=3.6; IC 95%= 2.3-5.8), root fragments (p=0.000; OR=6.5; IC 95 %= 4.1-10), dental calculus (p=0.000; OR=5.3; IC 95 %= 3.3-8.4) with the negative impact of the CVRSB. In the multivariate model variables that best explain the negative impact of CVSB they were: lack of social security, have fewer than 19 teeth, presence of root fragments and stones (p <0.05). Young and mature adults have a negative impact on CVRSB especially when they have less than 19 teeth, presence of root fragments and dental calculus or when they have no social security arises.

KEY WORDS: oral health, quality of life, self perception.

How to cite this article

DÍAZ-CÁRDENAS, S.; MEISSER-VIDAL, M. A.; TIRADOAMADOR, L. R.; FORTICH-MESA N.; TAPIAS-TORRADO, L. & GONZÁLEZ-MARTÍNEZ, F. D. Oral health impact on life quality in young adults at dental university clinics. Int. J. Odontostomat., 11(1):5-11, 2017.