ORAL HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE

Abhinita Kumari*, Suma B. S. and Garima Mangal

ABSTRACT

Data about the impacts on people´s life caused by oral condition has been gathered recently in the last decades. It is accepted and recognized by dental community that oral health status can cause considerable pain and suffering, if oral symptoms remain untreated would be a major source of diminished quality of life; disturbing people´s food choices or their speech, or may lead to sleep deprivation, depression, and multiple adverse psychosocial out comes. Influencing how people grow, enjoy life, chew, taste food and socialize, as well as their feelings of social well-being. There are so many oral conditions that impact negatively on quality of life like caries, periodontal disease, tooth loss, cancer, dental injuries, dental fluorosis, and dental anomalies, craniofacial disorders among others. In fact, not only dental disease but also treatment experience can negatively affect the oral health related quality of life. OHRQoL is a multidimensional construct that includes a subjective evaluation of the individual‟s oral health, functional well-being, emotional wellbeing, expectations and satisfaction with care, and sense of self. It has wide-reaching applications in survey and clinical research. OHRQoL is an integral part of general health and well-being. In fact, it is recognized by the World Health Organization(WHO) as an important segment of the Global Oral Health Program (2003). There are different approaches to measure OHRQOL; the most popular one is multiple item questionnaires. OHRQOL should be the basis for any oral health programme development. Moreover, research at the conceptual level is needed in countries where OHRQOL has not been previously assessed, including India.

Keywords: Health, oral health related quality of life, oral health, quality of life.