Evaluation of Oral Health Related Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Background : The incidence of chronic kidney disease continues to rise and, as a consequence, increasing numbers of individuals with such disease will probably continue to require oral health care. The study was done with aim of evaluating OHRQoL in patients undergoing haemodialysis in all aspects including physical, psychological, social and functional in a rural hospital of India. Study Design: -The study was conducted to determine oral health in patients undergoing hemodialysis as well as to evaluate the effect of oral health on quality of life within this group. The study evaluated Oral Health related Quality of Life by means of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP49). It involved 90 patients undergoing Hemodialysis. Results: - Mean OHIP score was 22.58(±3.75). Majority of patients fairly often thought their life unsatisfying (53.3%) and were unable to function (48.9%). Maximum of the patients very often suffered from financial liability (44.4%). Conclusion: -Results indicated that patients have negligence towards oral health and they do not visit the dentist. They were unaware of the effects of haemodialysis on their oral health and least concerned too. Hence, the Oral Health Related Quality of Life was low even though the participants do not complain about it