Impact of tooth agenesis on oral health-related quality of life in adults

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial impact of tooth agenesis in adults and investigate the effect of sex, age, ethnicity, social deprivation, severity of tooth agenesis and presence of retained deciduous teeth on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL). Methods: Seventy-one adults with tooth agenesis were recruited in a UK dental hospital, aged 16-30 years. An age-matched control was derived from the 2009 Adult Dental Health Survey (ADHS) and the validated Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14) was used for comparison. Fifteen subjects with tooth agenesis were compared to a friend-control group, using the OHIP-49 questionnaire. Results: Subjects with tooth agenesis had significantly higher overalloral health impacts and for all domains, in comparison to the ADHS control. In comparison with the friend-control, subjects with tooth agenesis had significantly higher scores in total OHIP-49 and in all domains except physical pain and handicap. Lower OHRQoL was associated with being female, of an older age and increased social deprivation. Conclusions: Tooth agenesis have a significant impact on OHRQoL in adults. This study furthers our understanding of the implications of OHRQoL and highlights the need for resources dedicated to the treatment of this patient group.