The link between oral health status and psychological well-being among young adults

Abstract

Background To live a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life, oral health is vital. The one who has a healthy oral cavity can engage with people, eat, and interact without feeling uncomfortable or ashamed. Oral illness has a subtle but significant effect on people’s daily lives, affecting social and professional duties. Aim The purpose of the study is to investigate how young individuals’ psychological well-being is impacted by their oral health. Materials and Methods Psychological Well-being Questionnaire by Goldberg (1972), Oral Hygiene-Simplified Index (OHI-S) by John C. Greene and Jack R. Vermillion (1964), Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire by Klages et al., (2005), and Decay, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index by the World Health Organization (1987) were the instruments utilized for this study. Eighty-four working young adults in and around Chennai made up the study’s entire sample, and a purposive sampling technique was used; oral health-care therapies were provided, increasing the degree of oral hygiene status, decreasing the amount of decay, and replacing missing teeth with filled teeth. After that, secondary data gathering was completed. The Pearson correlation, independent sample t-test, and paired t-test were used as the statistical analysis methods for this investigation to confirm the hypotheses. Results and Conclusion According to the study’s findings, maintaining good oral health helps working young adults feel psychologically well and can change their lifestyles to improve workplace well-being.

Keywords

• dental esthetics
• oral health
• psychological well-being
• quality of life
• workplace