Tannhelse og oral helserelatert livskvalitet hos et utvalg rusmiddelmisbrukere i Norge
Sammanfattning
Drug abusers often have oral health related problems that can affect their quality of life. In Norway, since 2005, the public dental health service is responsible for providing dental treatment for this group.
The aim of the study was to assess the dental health and oral health related quality of life among drug abusers that had access to dental care free of charge in the public dental health service. Drug abusers were recruited from two dental clinics over a two-week period. Drug abusers (n=29) were clinically examined by dentists and answered a self-administered questionnaire including background characteristics, drug use, oral hygiene and self-rated oral health. The standardized questionnaire Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) measuring oral health related quality of life was also included.
Drug abusers had on average 11 missing and 17 functional teeth where of 2.7 were decayed. The estimated treatment expenses for planned treatment were approximately NOK 10 000 or less for most of the drug abusers, which indicate relatively sparse treatment. The oral health related quality of life was low compared with the Norwegian general population.