Relationship between the Subjective-Objective Oral Health Status and Oral Health Related Quality of Life in the Elderly

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between objective oral health status determined by dentists, self-perceived subjective oral health status, and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) in the elderly. The related factors affecting OHRQoL in the elderly were also surveyed. Four hundred and thirty elderly individuals who visited the three public health centers and four dental clinics in Busan were selected by convenience sampling. Twelve dental hygienists investigated the subjective oral health status and OHRQoL using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and twentyone dentists examined the objective oral health status, including healthy remaining teeth, treated remaining teeth, functional remaining teeth, missing teeth, and non-treated missing teeth. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 12.0. OHRQoL was higher when oral and periodontal status was perceived as healthy, when there was no toothache, no interference in mastication, and when study subjects had the ability of food softening. It was also higher when study subjects had ≥20 remaining teeth and ＜9 missing teeth, and were wearing denture. The related factors affecting OHRQoL of the elderly were the type of medical insurance, toothache, ability of food softening, perception of periodontal status, and the number of healthy remaining teeth. There was a significant relationship between the subjective-objective oral health status and OHRQoL in the elderly. A continuous oral health care system aimed at retaining ≥20 healthy remaining teeth is needed to improve oral health and OHRQoL for the elderly, especially for the elderly receiving medical aid.

Relationship between Subjective Oral Discomfort and Health-Related Quality of Life in the South Korean Elderly Population

“…With the global aging of the population and increasing life expectancies, the issue of QOL in the elderly population, i.e., how people can remain healthy in later years, has gained great attention [6,11,18].…”

“…According to previous studies, toothache caused by oral disease is a potential risk factor for lower QOL, making it difficult for older adults to carry out daily living activities and negatively impacting their mental health, which may result in conditions such as insomnia and depression [9]. On the contrary, a good oral health status helps the elderly talk with confidence to others, restores their self-esteem, and positively impacts their social lives, thus improving their QOL [10,11]. Preventing oral discomfort by promoting oral health is therefore crucial for older adults to maintain a healthy daily life and pursue a high QOL.…”

“…However, a majority of previous studies on oral discomfort among older adults have focused exclusively on masticatory dysfunction. Many studies also had limitations, with a small sample size and narrow regional focus, which implied a low degree of generalizability of the research outcomes [11]. Moreover, there are only a limited number of studies examining gender differences in self-rated oral discomfort and QOL.…”

The association between social isolation and oral health of community‐dwelling older adults—A systematic review

“…In our selected studies, only one assessed self‐rated oral health as an exposure to investigate its association with social network size; however, the result was insignificant (Arcury et al, 2013). Since subjective oral health can affect oral function (Oku et al, 2020; Youn et al, 2017) and cause depression (Skośkiewicz‐Malinowska et al, 2018), also correlated with social isolation (Taylor et al, 2018), we hypothesized that a bidirectional relationship existed between subjective oral health and social isolation. Therefore, further studies are warranted.…”