Determinants of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life Among Individuals Requiring Endodontic Treatment

Dental pain, swelling, and sensitivity are typically assessed by dentists, who often overlook their impact on patients' daily lives. "Oral health-related quality of life" (OHRQoL) assesses the impact of oral conditions on daily activities. Previous studies have shown that dental issues have a significant effect on OHRQoL, motivating patients to seek treatment.

To evaluate OHRQoL and its associated factors among patients requiring endodontic treatment in the Indian context.

This cross-sectional study included patients aged 18 years or older who required endodontic treatment. We excluded patients with acute conditions or communication barriers. Sociodemographic data, clinical variables, self-reported pain, and OHRQoL (oral health impact profile [OHIP-14]) data were then collected. The Mann‒Whitney U test and Kruskal‒Wallis ANOVA were applied for bivariate analysis. Negative binomial regression was performed to identify significant predictors.

Of the 323 patients who were eligible, 306 participated. The mean age was 39.85 years, and most participants were female (59.5%). OHIP-14 scores were significantly positively correlated with global general health, oral health, and pain (p < 0.001). Sociodemographic variables were not significantly associated with OHRQoL. Individuals with more than one tooth requiring endodontic treatment, multiple decayed teeth, and missing teeth had significantly higher OHIP-14 scores. Negative binomial regression revealed that the number of teeth requiring endodontic treatment, decayed teeth, and pain were significant predictors of poor OHRQoL.

Patients requiring endodontic treatment experience substantial impairment in OHRQoL, which is influenced primarily by pain and the cumulative oral disease burden rather than by sociodemographic factors.