Preventive dental service use and oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian older adults.

Abstract

Information on the use of preventive dental services and associated variables is needed to guide policy for the old adult population and consequently promote better oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). To investigate the association between preventive dental service use and OHRQoL by older Brazilians. This cross-sectional study was carried out using the baseline data of participants of the Brazilian Longitudinal Stud of Aging (ELSEI-Brazil) who were aged 60 years or more. Associations with the use of preventive dental services were carried out using Poisson regression models with robust variance, adjusting for confounders. The final sample consisted of 5432 older adults. Almost all (90.7%) participants reported not having sought preventive dental services in the last year. Individuals who used dental services for prevention had fewer impacts on their OHRQoL (RR: 0.74; [95% CI: 0.57-0.97]). Preventive dental service use is associated with a better OHRQoL in older Brazilians. Policies to improve access to preventive dental services may result in improved OHRQoL in this age group.