TITLE:
Assessment of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life among Dentists: A Cross-Sectional Study
AUTHORS:
Danny Kanyana Makolo, Alain Nyengele Kayembe, Augustin Mantshumba Milolo, Elias Lubadi Tshilumba, Fifi Balepukayi Mpiana, Pierrot Kumpanya Ntumba, Fidele Nyimi Bushabu, Joke Duck
KEYWORDS:
Quality of Life, Oral Health, Evidence-Based Dentistry, Community Dentistry, Dentist
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Stomatology,
Vol.15 No.11,
November
7,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: The assessment of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among dentists is an intriguing topic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the OHRQoL among Congolese dentist. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with dentists attending the national meeting at University of Kinshasa; Faculty of dental medicine in June 2024. All participants were generally healthy without oral conditions such as oral cancer, congenital craniofacial deformities, craniofacial trauma, etc. The version of the oral health impact profile (OHIP-14) was used for the assessment of quality of life. OHIP-C14 answers to the questions are evaluated according to the follow scale: 0-No, 1-Yes. The OHIP-C14 score is calculated by adding up the responses on all 14 items, with an overall score ranging from 0 to 28. The participants completed the questionnaires individually in the auditorium, supervised by one of the researchers who addressed any issues that might have arisen. After the completion of the questionnaire, the data collection process was carried out. The Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to find the association between perceived oral health status and OHIP-C14 scores. The p Results: In all, 162 participants were selected and 99 of whom agreed to participate. However, 6 dentists (6.1%) were excluded due to incomplete questionnaires, and we also excluded 2 dentists (2%) who were pregnant, so the final sample encompassed 91 dentists (91.9% response rate). Mean age of the participants was 33.2 ±1.9 years and 65.9% were males. The prevalence of impact on OHRQoL was 17.9% and the mean OHIP-C14 score was 11.66 ± 8.72 (range: 0 to 28). The highest mean scores were observed for the subscales physical pain (1.85 ± 1.49), physical disability and psychological discomfort (3.45 ± 1.99), (1.66 ± 1.99), which were also the most frequently reported subscales with an impact on OHRQoL (56.09%, 24.47% and 24.25%, respectively). Those with the least impact were psychological disability, social handicap and social disability (13.35%, 13.41% and 13.46%, respectively). In relation to gender, no statistically significant differences were detected regarding the prevalence of the impact on OHRQoL for both the mean values of total OHIP-C14 score. Conclusion: The present study revealed the factors associated with poor OHRQoL and physical pain and psychological discomfort were the most common domain with high OHIP scores. The understanding OHRQoL can help in planning better oral healthcare programs and interventions that not only treat diseases but also improve patients’ overall quality of life.