Original Article DENTURE STATUS, DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS AND ORAL HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG 40-70 YEAR INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN URBAN AND RURAL AREAS OF RANGA REDDY DISTRICT – A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Over the past decade there has been an explosion of interest in conceptualizing, developing and assessing the impact of quality life on oral health. It is increasingly recognized that the impact of disease on quality of life should be taken into account when assessing health status. It is likely that tooth loss and denture status, in most cases being a consequence of oral diseases, affects Oral HealthRelated Quality of Life (OHRQoL). Aim-Hence, this study aimed to investigate the association between Denture status, Demographic factors on oral health related quality of life in Rural (Ranga Reddy) and Urban (Hyderabad) individuals of age 40-70 years , utilizing the oral health related quality of life instrument OHIP-21. MethodologyStratified random sampling procedure was employed on total sample of 632 subjects using questionnaire consisting of demographic data, denture status and OHIP-21 item. ResultOHIP-21 mean score for participants with missing teeth and no dentures was 24.55±15.43, and for participants wearing dentures was 10.94±11.60. The overall prevalence of oral impacts was significantly higher in non-denture wearers when compared to denture wearers. Conclusion-The increase in number of missing teeth was significantly associated (p<0.05) with Oral Health Related Quality of Life. Denture status and demographic factors was a stronger predictor for impaired OHRQoL.