The use of crack and other illicit drugs impacts oral health-related quality of life in Brazilians

Impact of licit and illicit substances on the oral health-related quality of life in adolescents

OBJECTIVE

To assess the impact of the consumption of licit and illicit substances on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents from public schools in the south of Brazil.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was carried out with a random sample of adolescents aged between 17 and 18 years old from Santa Maria, Brazil. The consumption of licit and illicit substances was measured through a self-administered questionnaire with questions from the National Survey of Scholar Health. The OHRQoL was collected using the Brazilian short version of Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14 (CPQ11-14). Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to estimate the association between the outcome and the explanatory variables where the adolescents (first level) were nested in their schools (second level).

RESULTS

A total of 768 adolescents were evaluated. Of these, about 15.6% have already used illegal substances. Adolescents who reported the use of illicit substances had 28% higher CPQ11-14 scores when compared to their counterparts. Alcohol use was also related to worse levels of OHRQoL, while the consumption of cigarettes acted as a protective factor.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found an association between the use of alcohol and illicit drugs with worse levels of OHRQoL.

Association between crack cocaine use and dental caries experience: a cross-sectional study in southern Brazil

The aim of the present study was to compare the prevalence of dental caries between crack cocaine users and a control group. The study included 106 participants in each group matched for age, sex, and exposure to tobacco. Crack cocaine users were selected from institutions for the treatment of chemical dependency, and the control group was recruited from a public school and among patients who sought dental care. A calibrated examiner determined dental caries experience [Decayed, Missing and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index]. The severity of tooth decay was determined using the Significant Caries Index (SiC). The prevalence of dental caries (DMFT ≥ 1) was 96.2 and 81.1% among the crack cocaine users and nonusers, respectively. Crack users had higher mean DMFT values (7.16 versus 4.92) for the decayed and missing components as well as a higher percentage of individuals with highly severe caries compared to nonusers. After the adjustments in the multivariate model, the prevalence of caries was 18% higher among the crack users (prevalence ratio: 1.18; 95% confidence interval: 1.08-1.30). Age, family income, crack cocaine use, and dental calculus were associated with the occurrence of dental caries. In conclusion, the prevalence of caries was higher among the crack users compared with the control group and remained associated with dental caries in the multivariate analysis.

Effect of Severity of Chronic Periodontitis on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life

Objective:There is a paucity of studies on the relationship between the severity and type of periodontal disease and oral health related-quality of life (OHRQoL). The present study aimed to evaluate OHRQoL in patients with chronic periodontitis of different severity levels. Material and methods:In the present cross-sectional/analytical study, 200 patients with chronic periodontitis completed the OHIP-14 questionnaire. Factors such as age, gender, and chronic periodontitis severity (mild, moderate, severe) were evaluated. One-way ANOVA was used to analyze the relationship between chronic periodontitis severity and OHRQoL using SPSS 20. Results:There were significant differences in questions regarding the practical and functional domains between the two groups with mild and moderate-severe chronic periodontitis. The severity of chronic periodontitis was not significantly related to OHRQoL considering the scores of the 14 questions of the questionnaire. Variables such as gender and age did not significantly affect the OHRQoL under the effect of chronic periodontitis severity. Conclusion:Overall, the severity of chronic periodontitis did not significantly affect the OHRQoL in the present study.

Oral health-related quality of life among a group of patients with substance use disorders in rehabilitation treatment: a cross-sectional study

Background

Little is known about the effect of illicit drugs on oral health-related quality of life. Our aim was to investigate oral health-related quality among patients with substance use disorders, and its association with dental caries experience and drug use profile.

Methods

Applying a stratified cluster random sampling method, we conducted a cross-sectional study on 267 in-treatment patients with substance use disorders in Isfahan, Iran in 2016. Self-administered questionnaires requested participants’ demographics and drug use profile. A trained dental student carried out personal interviews utilizing Oral Impact on Daily Performance (OIDP) instrument. Clinical examinations were conducted to record dental caries experience. T test, ANOVA, pearson and spearman correlation coefficient, and linear regression model served for statistical analysis (p < 0.05).

Results

A great majority of the participants reported past use of opium (85%) followed by heroin (42.7%) and amphetamines (20.2%). The most common routes of drug administration were combined routes (44.6%) followed by smoking (36.7%). The mean score of OIDP was 22.4 ± 8.6. As high as 74.1% of the participants reported at least one OIDP impact. The most prevalent OIDP impact was “difficulty eating” (64.8%). The most prevalent cause of the impacts were “dental decay” and “tooth loss”. No significant association revealed between OIDP and patients’ demographics and drug use profile (p > 0.05). Participants with higher caries experience, reported greater OIDP (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

There is an oral impact on the daily performance of patients with substance use disorders. Patients with higher caries experience reported greater OIDP. Thus, in addition to normative assessment of oral health, clinicians should consider the patients’ self-reported oral problems, and the social and mental aspects of oral conditions.

Oral health related quality of life and reasons for non-dental attendance among patients with substance use disorders in withdrawal rehabilitation

No study has assessed the socio‐behavioral distribution of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) among patients with substance use disorders receiving medically assisted rehabilitation therapy (MAR) in Norway.