Association between oral health status and oral health-related quality of life among the prison inmate population of kanda model jail, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

The prison population is a challenging one with many health problems including oral health. In a country such as India, the information regarding the oral health status in prisoners is scant. So, a cross-sectional study was carried out among a 311 prison inmate population of Kanda model jail, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India, to assess the dental caries levels, periodontal health status, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Dental caries was present among 71.8% of the population and the mean decayed missing and filled teeth index (DMFT) of the population was 5.1 ± 2.1. Calculus was seen among 54.9% of the population. The mean severity score, summed for the 14 items in the scale was 14.57. Dental caries, periodontal disease, the number of missing teeth were significantly associated with OHRQoL. The population had a higher level of oral diseases and one half of the population reported that their oral condition had negatively impacted them in some way, thereby affecting their quality of life.

Impact of periodontal disease on quality of life: a systematic review

“…The risk of observer bias was detected in 12 of the 34 articles reviewed . This reinforces the importance to use measures aimed at improving diagnostic capacity before and throughout a study.…”

“…These aspects should be clarified in the methodology, whether by describing the blinding of the evaluator, reporting the previous administration of the questionnaire, delegating another researcher to administer the questionnaire or asking the participants to self‐administer the questionnaire. In some of the studies included in the present review, it was not clear when the quality of life measure was administered . In other studies, the risk of evaluation bias was found .…”

“…The community periodontal index (CPI) was the most commonly employed index for the diagnosis of periodontal disease. Twenty studies addressed the impact of periodontal disease on quality of life and five studies concluded that clinical attachment loss was associated with an impact on daily living (Table ).…”

“…Confounding factors can mask an association or even falsely indicate a causal relationship between a risk factor and outcome , which justifies the adjustment for confounders of the outcome by means of multivariate statistics. Several studies included in the present review included confounding factors in the multivariate analyses, such as demographic and socio‐economic characteristics, clinical conditions (teeth with caries, missing teeth, maximum vertical mandibular movement, treatment needs, tooth sensitivity, dry mouth, toothache, orofacial pain and functional dentition), the use of services, oral hygiene habits, smoking, dietary habits, self‐rated oral health, difficulty speaking, systemic diseases and work‐related stress .…”

“…The pathogenesis of periodontal disease is characterized by complex relationships between microorganisms in dental biofilm (plaque) and the immuno‐inflammatory response of the host, which may be influenced by genetic factors, environmental and/or acquired conditions, such as smoking and systemic diseases . Importantly, periodontal disease may also be a modifying factor of systemic health and its clinical consequences can exert an impact on quality of life in the form of emotional, social and functional aspects as well as symptoms in acute processes .…”