Oral Health Impact on Quality of Life in an Adult Swedish Population

Objectives: Oral health has a major impact on general quality of life. The aspects of oral health that are most important for each individual vary, and quality of life is a construct and not a measurable variable. The aim of this study was to describe the impact of oral health on quality of life in an adult Swedish population.

Material And Methods: The study comprised a stratified random sample of 519 individuals. The OHIP-14 questionnaire was used and the answers were rated on a scale of 0-4.

Results: Twenty-one percent of the respondents stated that they had no oral problems related to well-being, and 79% had some form of problem related to quality of life. The mean value for the entire population was 6.4 (SD = 7.1); 5.9 (SD = 7.1) for men and 6.8 (SD = 7.2) for women. Of individuals who stated that they had oral problems, the majority were women aged 20 years. Nineteen percent of 30-year-old men and 53% of 70-year-old women stated that they had had problems that had made life less satisfactory. Individuals who frequently experienced problems related to oral health, with scores of 16-41 points, accounted for 10%.

Conclusion: In this Swedish population, a number of individuals, young and old, experienced oral problems that had an impact on their well-being.