Oral Health-related Quality of Life in an Aging Canadian Population

• Main Author: Kotzer, Robert
• Other Authors: Lawrence, Herenia P.
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: oral health-related quality of life; elderly; aging; seniors; Dentistry 0567
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/31287

The purpose of the study is to describe the impact of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) on the lives of pre-seniors and seniors living in Nova Scotia, Canada. This cross-sectional study involved 1461 participants, grouped by age (pre-seniors [45-64] and seniors [65+]) and residential status (long-term care facility [LTC] or community). OHRQoL was measured using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire. Approximately one in four pre-seniors and seniors reported at least one OHRQoL impact ‘fairly/very often’. Of those residing in the community, pre-seniors (28.8%) reported significantly more impacts than seniors (22.0%). Logistic regression revealed that for the community dwelling sample, those who were dissatisfied with their teeth or dentures were 5.16 times more likely to report an impact ‘fairly/very often’, which was the strongest indicator. Among the LTC sample, those who have poor perceived mouth health were 9.87 times more likely to report an impact.