A Comparative Study of Oral Health Related Quality of Life and Oral Health Status among Health Professionals

Abstract

Background: Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQI) holds significant implications for clinical practice in dentistry and oral health research. This study aimed to compare the knowledge of OHRQI between dental and other healthcare providers. .

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, enrolling 356 participants comprising dental health care professionals and medical healthcare professionals from Margalla Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS) and Rawal Dental Hospital (RDH) in Islamabad. Data collection employed a validated, pretested, and reliable OHRQI tool. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied for analysis using SPSS version 21. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), HSA Islamabad, Pakistan.

Results: Findings indicated that approximately 50% of dental health care professionals visited dentists twice a year, whereas about 30% of medical healthcare professionals had biannual routine check-ups. Among the 14 factors related to OHRQI, trouble in pronouncing words (p=0.031) and irritability (p=0.046) emerged as significant factors in both groups. The DMFT score was found to be significant (p=0.000), with a mean score for dentists being 0.8989 ± 1.67767, whereas for other healthcare professionals, it was 2.4157 ± 2.44399.

Conclusion: Oral health-related quality of life among dental health care professionals was observed to be better compared to medical healthcare professionals working in private hospitals in Islamabad, Pakistan.