Oral impact on daily performance in Iranian adults

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and severity of oral impact on daily performance (OIDP) in adults attending dental clinics in the city of Kerman, Iran. METHODS: In 2010, a cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 400 patients (age 20-50 years) referring to dental centers in Kerman. Validated OIDP inventory was used to collect data. Clinical examination was also carried out by a trained interviewer. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Student’s t-test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Oral and dental diseases affected at least one daily activity of all participants (100%) during the six months prior to the study. The mean OIDP score of the subjects was 19% ± 12%. The most common affected activity was eating (92.6%). The most prevalently reported oral problem was dental caries (65.3%). Subjects who had better dental hygiene (tooth brushing and flossing habits) were more likely to have lower OIDP score (P = 0.001 for brushing; P = 0.002 for flossing). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that people who attended dental clinics had at least one oral/dental problem that effected their daily performance. Since the prevalence of OIDP was very high, providing more dental care and services is required.