Influence of the usual motivation for dental attendance on dental status and oral health-related quality of life

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of dental visiting patterns on the dental status and Oral Health-related Qua-lity of Life (OHQoL) of patients visiting the University Clinic of Salamanca (Spain). Study Design: This cross-sectional study consisted of a clinical oral examination and a questionnaire-based interview in a consecutive sample of patients seeking a dental examination. Patients were classified as problem-based dental attendees (PB) and regular dental attendees (RB). Clinical and OHQoL (OHIP-14 & OIDP) data were compared between groups. Pair-wise comparisons were performed and a Logistic Regression Model was fitted for predicting the Odds Ratio (OR) of being a PB patient. Results: The sample was composed of 255 patients aged 18 to 87 years (mean age: 63.1 ± 12.7; women: 51.8%). The PB patients had a poorer dental status (i.e. caries, periodontal and prosthetic needs), brushed their teeth less,and were significantly more impaired in their OHQoL according to both instruments. The logistic regression coefficients demonstrated that on average the OR of being a PB patient was high in this dental patient sample, but this OR increased significantly if the patient was a male (OR= 1.1-5.0) or referred pain-related impacts according to the OHIP and, additionally, the OR decreased significantly as a function of the number of healthy fillings and the number of sextants coded as CPI=0. Conclusions: Regular dental check-ups are associated with better dental status and a better OHQoL after controlling for potentially related confounding factors. Key words:Dental attendance, oral health-related quality of life.