Oral health and specific impact of caries on the quality of life of middle-aged people

Introduction. Dental caries is still an important social health problem in many countries. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and impact of oral discomfort, particularly caused by dental caries on the quality of life of middle-aged people as well as the association between oral problems caused by caries and the current status of teeth. Material and Methods. The study included 72 patients, age 25-45 years. Serbian version of the questionnaire Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) was used to determine the overall impact of oral health as well as the specific effect of caries (SP-OIDP) on the quality of life. To determine the status of teeth the DMFT index was used. Results. The incidence of oral health impact on daily activities was 68.1%. Carious teeth affected food intake (40.0%) and brushing teeth (31.0%) but had no effect on showing teeth and maintaining normal emotional state. Caries was the cause of oral discomfort in more than half of the respondents. Of all clinical variables only DMFT>22 was associated with the SP-OIDP score after inclusion of socio-demographic factors in the analysis (rs=0.273). Conclusion. The results of this study indicate that the incidence of the effect of oral conditions on the quality of life is high with most respondents showing difficulties while eating. Using specific questionnaire it was noted that dental caries had a significant effect on oral functions of respondents. Also, there was a significant correlation between dental status and the quality of life of middle-aged people.