Quality of life associated with oral health in smokers and non-smokers

BACKGROUND an‎d AIM: Smoking can affect the quality of daily life, like distributing sense of smell and taste and decreasing the level of energy for exercise. In addition, smoking can affect the health of oral cavity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life (QOL) associated with oral health in smokers and non-smokers. METHODS: The population under study included 300 patients who referred to dental school, offices, and clinics in Kerman, Iran. After obtaining consent, the questionnaire included demographic information and questions about smoking and its impact on people. During a dental visit, patients were asked to answer the questions of two questionnaires: EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) questionnaire and the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14). Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test, t-test, chi-square test, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used and statistical analyses were performed by SPPS software. P < 0.05 was significant. RESULTS: In this study, 300 people were studied (134 men and 166 women). The mean age was estimated to be 35.20 ± 8.68 years (range from 20 to 78 years). 85 people (29%) were smokers. Among smokers, only 10 (11.4%) were women. The study found that people who had smoked in the past had higher EQ-5D questionnaire score than those who had not smoked so far. QOL related to oral health was lower in smokers than in non-smokers, and there was a significant relationship in this area. CONCLUSION: There was a significant relationship between age, sex, and EQ-5D scores in smokers. Moreover, oral health-related QOL (OHRQOL) in smokers was lower than non-smokers and there was a significant relationship.