Objectives:

The present study investigated the association between quality of life and sociodemographic characteristics, oral health behaviors, and oral health status in 18-year-old individuals in the Region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley, using data from the III National Study of the Prevalence of Oral Diseases (NSPOD).

Methods:

The sample of the III NSPOD consisted of 157 18-year-old individuals living in Lisbon and Tagus Valley region. The III NSPOD collected data by a questionnaire and an intraoral observation. The questionnaire included questions about quality of life, sociodemographic data, and oral-health behaviors. The intraoral observation included recording of dental caries (ICDAS II) and gingival bleeding (modified CPI). Statistical analysis used the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests (α=0.05).

Results:

In general, female individuals with a lower level of education who had never visited an oral health professional and had caries or gingival hemorrhage had worse results (p<0.05). The presence of dental caries was the factor most frequently associated with worse quality of life, as found in 4 of the 8 questions considered.

Conclusions:

Some factors related to a worse quality of life were identified. These factos should be considered to reinforce preventive measures, particularly those related to improving oral health behaviors and the early treatment of oral diseases.

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