Oral health related quality of life and periodontal status of a selected Malaysian adult population: A pilot study

Abstract

Aim: To assess the oral health related quality of life (OHQoL) of a selected population of Malaysian adults and to compare the OHQoL by periodontal status. Material & Methods: This cross-sectional study comprises a convenient sampling of fifty subjects from the Primary Care Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. OHQoL was assessed using the Malaysian version of Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Basic periodontal examination (BPE) was performed on all subjects to determine their periodontal status. Descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis were performed. Results: Psychological discomfort, physical pain and psychological disability domains were the most affected dimensions in this population. Subjects with income levels >RM2,500 had higher impacts on their OHQoL as compared to those from other income levels (p<0.05). 78% of the subjects had some form of periodontitis (BPE scores 3 or 4) with the other 22% recording healthy/ gingivitis status (BPE 0, 1 or 2). Subjects with periodontitis experienced higher impacts on OHQoL as compared to those with healthy/ gingivitis in nearly all domains (p>0.05). Conclusion: Subjects with high income levels had high impacts on their OHQoL. Those with periodontitis experienced higher impacts on their OHQoL as compared to those who had a healthy periodontium or gingivitis and affected a wide range of domains of quality of life.