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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Influence of the usual motivation for dental attendance on dental status and oral health-related quality of life

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Objectives: To evaluate the influence of dental visiting patterns on the dental status and Oral Health-related Qua- lity of Life (OHQoL) of patients visiting the University Clinic of Salamanca (Spain). Study Design: This cross-sectional study consisted of a clinical oral examination and a questionnaire-based inter - view in a consecutive sample of patients seeking a dental examination. Patients were classified as problem-based dental attendees (PB) and regular dental attendees (RB). Clinical and OHQoL (OHIP-14 & OIDP) data were compared between groups. Pair-wise comparisons were performed and a Logistic Regression Model was fitted for predicting the Odds Ratio (OR) of being a PB patient. Results: The sample was composed of 255 patients aged 18 to 87 years (mean age: 63.1 ± 12.7; women: 51.8%). The PB patients had a poorer dental status (i.e. caries, periodontal and prosthetic needs), brushed their teeth less,and were significantly more impaired in their OHQoL according to both instruments. The logistic regression coef - ficients demonstrated that on average the OR of being a PB patient was high in this dental patient sample, but this OR increased significantly if the patient was a male (OR= 1.1-5.0) or referred pain-related impacts according to the OHIP and, additionally, the OR decreased significantly as a function of the number of healthy fillings and the number of sextants coded as CPI=0. Conclusions: Regular dental check-ups are associated with better dental status and a better OHQoL after control - ling for potentially related confounding factors.