Quality of Life, Oral Health and Dental Caries in Military Personnel from Arequipa, Peru

The objective of this research was to determine oral health-related quality of life and its relationship with the incidence of dental caries, oral hygiene, and gingival health in a military population in the city of Arequipa, Peru. The study was cross-sectional and included 234 Peruvian military personnel. Oral quality of life was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14Sp) questionnaire. Clinical condition was determined using the DMFT (cavities), OHI-S (simplified oral hygiene), and the Löe and Silness reduced gingival index (GI-r). The median OHIP-14Sp score was 19 (RI: 12-27), with physical pain being the most affected dimension (mean: 4.1±1.7). A significant association was found between the OHIP-14Sp and the OHI-S (p=0.011) and OHI-r (p<0.001) indices. In the case of the DMFT index, no statistically significant association was found with the overall OHIP-14Sp score (p=0.152); however, a trend was observed in which higher DMFT values corresponded to higher OHIP-14Sp scores, suggesting a possible clinically unperceived impact in this population. In conclusion, there is a significant relationship between oral health-related quality of life and levels of oral hygiene and gingival inflammation. Although no statistically significant association was found between DMFT and perceived quality of life, the observed trend suggests that caries experience could influence oral well-being at more advanced stages. Implementing oral health prevention and promotion strategies that address both hygiene and early caries diagnosis in institutional settings is recommended.