ORAL HEALTH STATUS AND ORAL HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADOLESCENT WORKERS

Abstract

Background and aim. Oral health status and oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of working adolescents has been very little reported in literature. Therefore, this study aimed to determine oral health status and OHRQoL in a group of adolescent workers.

Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted in an apprentice training center in western Turkey between December 2016 and January 2017. The study group population was 585, and the sample size was 514 students between 14 and 18 years old. The Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) Index, the Turkish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14), and a form requesting the socio-demographic information of the students were used as data collection tools. Permissions were obtained from the relevant school, parents, students, and ethical committee. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Student’s t-test, and the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Results. The results showed significant relationships between the tooth brushing frequency, dental visit frequency, dental trauma history, smoking, and the OHIP-14 subdomains (p < 0.05).

Conclusion. Poor oral health and a lack of good oral health attitudes may have negative impact on the oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) of working adolescents. Dental health education programs in collaboration with schools and dental health services may be beneficial for promoting oral health and improving the OHRQoL of working adolescents.