Correlation between oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) and oral disorders in a Turkish patient population

Objectives: The purpose of the present study is to determine the nature of the complaints that bring patients to our clinic and to what degree these complaints affect their quality of life (QoL). We also aimed to determine any associations between gender, education or harmful habits and each patient's oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL). Methods: A total of 1090 patients, consisting of 651 females (59.7%) and 439 males (40.3%), were included in this study. Of these patients, 220 constituted healthy controls. Two patient-centered outcome measures, the 14 item OHIP-14 and the 16 item OHQoL-UK measures were used. Results: Most of the patients presented with toothache and caries (50.1%), 11.2% had suffered tooth loss and had denture needs, 9.2% had periodontal problems, 1.8% had temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, 3.8% had buried third molars, 2.4% had orthodontic and aesthetic disorders, 1.3% had suffered injury due to trauma, and 20.2% came only for control checkups. OHQoL was best in the control group and the worst in patients who had suffered trauma. In addition, we noted correlations between gender, education and harmful habits, and that of the patient's oral health-related quality of life. Conclusion: According to our results, OHQoL is associated with the oral complaints of patients. Furthermore, OHQoL may not only be associated with the oral health status of patients, but factors such as gender, education and harmful habits may also play a role.