Impact of Number and Position of Tooth Loss in Quality of Life: The Chilean National Health Survey 2016- 2017

Abstract Purpose Considering that oral conditions can affect Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL), this study aimed to evaluate the impact of tooth loss on HRQoL and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) in Chilean adults who participated in the 2016–2017 National Health Survey (ENS 2016–2017). Methods This study included 5473 individuals. The EQ-5D questionnaire was used to measure HRQoL. OHRQoL was evaluated through one general question (GQ/ENS) and five specific questions (SQ/ENS). One-way ANOVA was performed to identify differences in the number of teeth. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine the odds ratio (OR) with their respective confidence intervals of 95% for anterior tooth loss. Results In the EQ-5D "self-care" question, the number of teeth decreased from 20.18 teeth (se 0.13) in G1 to 6.43 (se 1.38) in G3 individuals. In GQ/ENS, in individuals with upper anterior tooth loss, the OR for "Poor" was 2.26 (CI 95% 1.04–4.94) and increased to 2.97 (CI 95% 0.85–10.32) for "Very poor" OHRQoL. In SQ/ENS, upper anterior tooth loss represented an OR of 2.57 (CI 95% 1.30–5.05) for "always" being interfered by teeth or prostheses in their social relationships. Conclusions A lower number of remaining teeth was associated with lower HRQoL scores in all EQ-5D dimensions and poor OHRQoL according to GQ/ENS and SQ/ENS questionnaires. The anterior tooth loss was less associated with lower HRQoL, but this condition highly impacted the OHRQoL.