Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents of Indian population

Background: Kids and teenagers are more prone to oral diseases. Poor oral health has a significant impact on oral well-being-associated quality of life. Thus, we performed an investigation to examine the outcome of oral health status on the quality of life of children and adolescents in Indian population, by using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14).

Materials and methods: A total of 100 children, ranging between 1 and 19 years of age who attended Indian hospitals from November 2016 to October 2019, were included in the study. The DMFT Index (Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth) and OHIP-14 were used as data collection tools. Association of the total OHIP-14 score and seven subscales associated with it was evaluated using Spearman's correlations.

Results: The results showed statistically noteworthy association between the toothbrushing regularity, number of dental appointments, history of oral trauma, smoking, and subdomains of OHIP-14 (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: Dental and oral health of an individual has a great impact on their quality of life.