The Association Between Occlusal Traits and Oral Health Related Quality of Life Among Adults in Primary Care Settings in Saudi Arabia

Most Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) orthodontic research focused on examining the relationship between malocclusion/orthodontic treatment need and OHRQoL amongst children, adolescents, and occasionally young adults. Very few studies evaluated such a relationship in adults 18 years and above, despite the increased demands for orthodontic treatment among this age group. The aim of this paper is to examine the association between five occlusal traits and perceived OHRQoL in adults while considering age and gender differences. This was an epidemiological observational cross-sectional study of adults aged 18 years and above during their routine visit to primary care dental centers in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A cluster sampling approach was employed. One-hundred participants were recruited. Participants completed the self-administered Arabic OHIP-14. Five occlusal traits were recorded during clinical examination by three calibrated examiners, including: missing teeth, overjet, crossbite, maximum displacement of contact point, and overbite. Student t test and ANOVA were used to test for statistical significance. There seemed to be a trend for reduced impacts on OHRQoL with age. Gender differences were noticed, but were not statistically significant. Of the five occlusal traits tested, only missing teeth and overjet were significantly associated with worse OHRQoL. The study confirms the association between malocclusion and OHQOL in older adults. However, the results need to be examined in other population to confirm the direction and magnitude of this impact.