Relationships Between Dental Health Professional Shortage Residence Area and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract

Purpose Access to dental care has been an ongoing issue in the United States (US), impacting the individuals who directly experience the consequences of limited access to dental services. This study explores the relationship between residence in dental health professional shortage areas (DHPSA) and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among dental patients.

Methods Subjects were recruited from the patient population of the University of Minnesota’s prosthodontic clinic. Data were collected from 129 volunteers who completed surveys assessing oral health-related quality of life using the 5-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP) in which higher scores indicate lower impact. The participants’ residence in a DHPSA was determined, and demographic factors including age, gender, ethnicity, race, insurance type, education level, and number of teeth were also examined. Descriptive statistics and bivariable analyses were conducted to assess associations between variables.

Results No significant association was found between residence in shortage areas and oral health-related quality of life. Participants residing in geographic (p=0.38) and population shortage areas (p=0.32) did not exhibit significantly different mean oral health impact profile summary scores compared to those in non-shortage areas. However, there was a significant difference in mean summary scores based on the number of teeth (p=0.00), with participants having 0-19 teeth reporting a higher mean score (mean=6.6, SD=5.2) compared to those with 20-32 teeth (mean=3.3, SD=3.5). While certain demographic factors showed trends, such as Hispanic or Latino participants reporting higher oral health impact scores, and those with higher education levels reporting lower health impact scores, no statistically significant differences were found.

Conclusion Participants reported similar oral health impacts whether or not they lived in an area with a dental health professional shortage. This highlights the importance of considering multiple factors when understanding the impacts on oral health-related quality of life.