Factors associated with oral health-related quality of life and oral hygiene among adult patients visiting a Saudi Arabian dental school: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is well recognized to understand the impact of oral diseases and hygiene on daily human well-being. However, research on this aspect among the people from Saudi Arabia is limited. This study aims to evaluate the clinical and sociodemographic factors associated with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL, primary outcome) as well as dental caries and oral hygiene parameters (secondary outcomes) among adult patients attending a dental teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study by including 148 adult patients who visited a Saudi Arabian dental school during a period of November 2018 - April 2019. The data were collected for patient’s demographic, dental hygiene (plaque, calculus, stain and dental caries), and decayed, missing, and filled teeth or surface (DMFT/DMFS) scores using a structured interview or clinical investigation. The oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14) were used to assess the OHRQoL. Multiple statistics including univariate, multivariate and multinomial regression were used for analysis. Results Among the included 148 patients, 51.4% were female and 59.5% were non-Saudis with a mean age of 33.6 ± 13.9 years. Majority of patients (64.9%) had high dental caries with a mean DMFT and DMFS score of 11.9 ± 10.8 and 12.7 ± 6.8, respectively. Multivariable linear regression revealed that Saudi nationality ( p = 0.001), subgingival calculus ( p = 0.025), and higher DMFT score ( p = 0.025) were significantly associated with OHIP-14 scores. Multinomial logistic regression indicated that Saudi nationals ( RRR = 0.431; p = 0.028) and patients with higher DMFT scores ( RRR = 0.889; p = 0.022) were significantly less likely to report low OHRQoL impact compared to their respective counterparts. Plaque accumulation was significantly linked to dental stain ( β = 0.533; p = 0.001), while DMFS score was associated with monthly income ( β = 3.963; p = 0.047). Conclusion OHRQoL in this patient population was significantly associated with clinical dental caries experience and subgingival calculus. Targeted preventive interventions and oral health promotion strategies within clinical settings may improve both OHRQoL and oral hygiene outcomes in adult dental patients.