Association Between Oral Health and General Health-related Quality of Life

Abstract

  Preference-based measures (PBMs) that provide utility scores for health-related quality of life (HRQoL) play a crucial role in optimizing healthcare resource allocation. This study aimed to review previous findings on the association between oral health and general HRQoL and identify areas where evidence is lacking, particularly based on evaluations using PBMs. A total of fifty-nine articles were selected through literature searches. Studies that used general HRQoL instruments as outcome variables were selected and categorized into profile types and PBMs. The explanatory variables for oral health were grouped into: oral health status, dental care, and oral health behavior. Forty-two articles that focused on the oral health status were selected, and PBMs were used to evaluate a wide range of such statuses: 7 systematic reviews (SRs; PBMs: 3); 35 observational studies (PBMs: 16). However, in Japan, reported utility scores were limited to tooth loss and decline in oral function. Twenty articles on dental care were selected: three SRs (PBMs: 0), seven observational studies (PBMs: 3), and ten intervention studies (PBMs: 1). In Japan, the effect of dentures and dental implants on utility scores has been documented. Three articles on oral health behaviors were selected, but these were not evaluated using PBMs. The results indicate that although the oral health status was often evaluated using PBMs, dental care interventions and oral health behaviors were insufficiently assessed using them. The paucity of Japanese literature reporting PBM-based utility scores highlights the necessity of conducting further rigorous evaluations in these domains.