The impact of tooth wear on the oral health-related quality of life of the elderly in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Tooth wear lesion, otherwise known as tooth surface loss, is an insidious cumulative and multifactorial condition causing irreversible destruction of tooth enamel and dentine. Over time this lesion can threaten the affected individual’s Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL). OHRQoL entails interaction among oral health systems: social factors, psychological factors, and the rest of the body. Though, previous studies done decades ago also reported a high prevalence of tooth wear among the elderly in Nigeria, before now there has been no study on the impact of tooth wear types and severity on the OHRQoL of the elderly in this environment, which is necessary for their comprehensive management. The study was done to assess the impacts of tooth wear lesions on the Oral Health-Related Quality of Life of the elderly in Ibadan.

Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study, involving 1,200 elderly individuals. Using a multistage random sampling technique, participants were randomly selected from 2 Local Government Areas in Ibadan. Data were obtained using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and oral examination using the Simplified Tooth Wear Index, as well as Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics at p ≤ 0.05.

Result: Out of these elderly participants with Tooth wear lesions, 667 (55.6%) had good Oral Health- Related Quality of Life and 552 (43.5%) had poor Oral Health-Related Quality of Life. Attrition and Abfraction were the most common 1,189(99.1%) and least 5(0.4%) types of tooth wear lesions respectively. The lesions were more severe on the posterior teeth than the anterior teeth and more on the lower than the upper teeth.

Conclusion: The majority of the elderly with Tooth wear lesions had good OHRQoL, as more of them had mild to moderate grade of tooth wear.