Oral health can have a major effect on people’s quality of life and it is crucial that we don’t overlook this when assessing patients or planning treatment plans.
This study investigates antecedents of changes to oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) through self-administered questionnaires administered at dental clinics. Generalised estimating equation models were utilized.
Oral Hygiene
The mouth serves as the entranceway into our digestive and respiratory systems, housing microorganisms – particularly bacteria – that play a crucial role in overall health. Under normal circumstances, your natural defenses and good dental hygiene practices such as brushing and flossing help keep these harmful microbes under control; when these practices are ignored however, these bacteria can build up to dangerous levels, leading to infections or diseases in the mouth such as tooth decay, gum disease and even systemic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and endocarditis.
Studies have linked poor oral health with poor overall health and quality of life. One factor may be that inflammation from mouth bacteria contributes significantly to body inflammation; additionally, pathogens enter through its bloodstream through this entry point. Therefore, maintaining healthy habits and visiting your dentist for regular cleanings and exams are vital in order to maximize oral wellbeing.
Poor oral hygiene can result in the build-up of plaque and tartar that leads to gum disease and tooth decay, potentially spreading infections throughout the body and even leading to serious conditions like heart disease and stroke. But regular dental visits and good hygiene practices can reverse its impact.
By visiting your dentist regularly for cleanings and brushings, regular dental visits will help prevent cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, bad breath and keep the gums and other oral tissues healthy. Furthermore, regular exams by your dentist are crucial in order to detect any early warning signs such as oral cancer that are easier to treat.
Poor oral health can have devastating repercussions for daily life, from pain and discomfort to an inability to socialize freely or work uninterrupted. Furthermore, children suffering from tooth decay or other oral health issues have been shown to perform worse in school.
Prevention
Oral health is vitally important to everyday functioning; it enables people to eat, communicate and smile effectively while improving mental and social interactions. Poor oral health can result in pain, discomfort and limited food choices; further affecting one’s self-esteem and well-being – leading to serious and costly health complications in future.
Studies are increasingly showing the positive influence dental care can have on individuals’ quality of life; however, an effective and comprehensive method of measuring this impact has yet to be devised. Self reported measures of quality of life (QOL) have become widely utilized both clinically and research, offering primary or secondary outcome measures for clinical interventions of various sorts.
As evidence mounts that poor oral health is linked to numerous chronic diseases – from diabetes and cardiovascular issues to Alzheimer’s Disease – researchers at UIC’s College of Dentistry are studying its connection between poor oral health and risk for such diseases and lower risk.
While most Americans can access affordable dental care, rural residents face additional difficulties in accessing care due to limited public transport systems and limited accessibility of clinics in these rural communities. Elderly individuals living in poverty without dental insurance coverage are especially impacted.
As reported by CareQuest Oral Health Institute’s 2021 report, many rural communities are suffering from a shortage of dentists, leading to reduced dental visits being provided and patients postponing treatment altogether. This trend is most apparent among those covered by Medicaid since their reimbursement rate is usually lower than private policies.
Good news is that dental healthcare delivery is evolving beyond its traditional private practice model and toward more integrated models, evidenced by the establishment of dental service organizations and community based health centers. Furthermore, teledentistry has proven its efficacy at connecting medical and dental services for those living in rural areas.
Treatment
Dental health is an integral component of overall wellbeing. Poor oral health can have serious repercussions for your ability to eat, speak and smile naturally – impacting both quality of life and longevity. Dealing with TMJ isn’t a great experience as well. Therefore, regular preventive care visits should be undertaken so any issues can be identified before they escalate into more serious issues.
Rural areas often face difficulty accessing affordable and convenient dental care due to a shortage of providers willing to accept Medicaid patients and low reimbursement rates from private insurance. Furthermore, many individuals lack access to dental insurance through work or retirement programs – leaving them more at risk for untreated dental disease that could cause costly health complications.
Though these barriers to access may exist, there are promising models to address them. One such model is provided by Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium’s Dental Health Aide Therapists (DHATs), trained to serve in remote villages under supervision from dentists. DHATs can treat basic dental needs for children and adults under their care – this model has since been replicated across other tribes across the nation.
Health related quality of life refers to the balance between lifespan and enjoyment in one’s life. This concept has been recognized since 1948 when WHO expanded the definition of health to encompass physical, mental and social aspects of wellness. Oral health was specifically addressed when Locker adapted WHO’s International Classification of Impairment Disability and Handicap to dentistry practice in 1988.
Dental literature refers to tools used to measure patient perspectives as quality of life measures; originally these measures were known as sociodental indicators or social impacts of oral diseases. Such measures are essential tools for researchers, planners and policy makers. They help refine research questions while providing evidence base decisions, as well as guide interventions that improve quality of life for those living with dental conditions. It should be stressed however that quality of life measures do not replace assessments of health and treatment outcomes.
Maintenance
The maintenance phase is an integral component of any comprehensive treatment plan, serving to provide ongoing, customized care tailored to individual patient needs. It should begin immediately following disease control/definitive treatment phases or at the conclusion of all plans of care – and dentists should evaluate its success, comfort and whether any new sequelae have arisen that must be addressed during this phase.
The concept of health related quality of life represents a paradigm shift in medicine and dentistry. Gone is the traditional medical model of disease; now replaced with a biopsychosocial approach defining health as the state of optimal function, psychological wellbeing and social cohesion. [1] Yewe-Dyer M [2] describes oral health in this new light as defined by contained disease with reduced future risks inhibited occlusion sufficient for food digestion and having socially acceptable aesthetic qualities in its teeth.
Comfort with their oral condition and positive perceptions about themselves as capable individuals will likely lead to higher rates of home care for oral hygiene, as well as attendance of regular periodic visits. Writing maintenance into the treatment plan is an effective method of encouraging this attitude among patients.
Now it is widely recognized that oral health has an effect on overall quality of life; this fact can be seen by the proliferation of OHRQoL measures currently available. These should be integrated into assessments of individuals and groups needing oral healthcare as well as planning services or setting policy, combined with clinical or behavioral indicators for comprehensive oral health management.