Access to dental care and oral health-related quality of life

Methods: The OHRQoL, as measured by OHIP-14 summary indicators, of participants from the Defence Deployed Solomon Islands (SI) Health Study and National Survey of Adult Oral Health 2004–06 (NSAOH) were compared. The SI sample was age/sex status-adjusted to match that of the NSAOH sample which was age/sex/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 good general health had did not have clearer lower OHIP-14 scores again [Frequency 7.6 (4.7,10.6), Extent 0.13 (0.09,0.18), Severity 4.8 (4.2,5.3)], although not as low as that 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 OHRQoL than the Australian population, even those with good access to dental care.