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Will improving access to dental care improve oral health‐related quality of life?
Author(s) -
Crocombe LA,
Mahoney GD,
Spencer AJ,
Waller M
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australian dental journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.701
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 1834-7819
pISSN - 0045-0421
DOI - 10.1111/adj.12060
Subject(s) - medicine , oral health , quality of life (healthcare) , dental care , population , health care , sample (material) , gerontology , demography , family medicine , environmental health , nursing , chemistry , chromatography , sociology , economics , economic growth
Background The aim of this study was to determine if Australian Defence Force ( ADF ) members had better oral health‐related quality of life ( OHRQ oL) than the general Australian population and whether the difference was due to better access to dental care. Methods The OHRQ oL, as measured by OHIP ‐14 summary indicators, of participants from the Defence Deployed Solomon Islands ( SI ) Health Study and the National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004–06 ( NSAOH ) were compared. The SI sample was age/gender status‐adjusted to match that of the NSAOH sample which was age/gender/regional location weighted to that of the Australian population. Results NSAOH respondents with good access to dental care had lower OHIP ‐14 summary measures [frequency of impacts 8.5% (95% CI = 5.4, 11.6), extent mean = 0.16 (0.11, 0.22), severity mean = 5.0 (4.4, 5.6)] than the total NSAOH sample [frequency 18.6 (16.6, 20.7); extent 0.52 (0.44, 0.59); severity 7.6 (7.1, 8.1)]. The NSAOH respondents with both good access to dental care and self‐reported good general health did not have as low OHIP ‐14 summary scores as in the SI sample [frequency 2.6 (1.2, 5.4), extent 0.05 (0.01, 0.10); severity 2.6 (1.9, 3.4)]. Conclusions ADF members had better OHRQ oL than the general Australian population, even those with good access to dental care and self‐reported good general health.