Oral Health-Related Quality of Life and Dental Caries Experience Among Indian Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction: Dental decay is a prevalent oral disease that impacts the quality of life (QoL) of children and adults. However, there is a dearth of information regarding the connection between dental caries and the QoL of adolescents. The study aimed to assess caries prevalence and its association with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among adolescents in Modinagar, India. Methods: The present study, conducted on 1600 adolescents, utilized a self-designed questionnaire to collect demographic data, while the prevalidated Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) assessed OHRQoL. Caries was assessed using the Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth (DMFT) index. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 27.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27.0. IBM Corp). Results: Dental caries was found to be 38.5% among adolescents. The overall CPQ score was 9.15 ± 0.32. A positive correlation was observed between CPQ and DMFT (rho =0.191, P = 0.002) and also between CPQ and oral symptoms (OS) (rho =0.109, P = 0.0001). Conclusion: Higher CPQ scores indicated a poor OHRQoL. Dental caries exhibited a significant correlation with their OHRQoL. The implementation of an inventive oral healthcare initiative through public-private collaboration could potentially enhance their OHRQoL.

Keywords

• adolescents
• dental caries
• oral health
• quality of life