Impact of oral health literacy on the quality of life among adult population of Ghaziabad District – A hospital-based cross-sectional study

Introduction: Oral health literacy (OHL) represents far more than a healthy mouth, a pleasing smile, and freedom from pain and infection which contributes positively to self-esteem leading to a healthy oral health outcome. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the OHL level and its impact on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among the adult population visiting the outpatient department of a hospital in Ghaziabad district. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ghaziabad district. A total of 300 study subjects aged above 18 years visiting the outpatient department of the hospital were included in the study. OHL level was assessed with the help of a bilingually adapted Hindi OHL tool, and the OHRQoL was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 scale. Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 43.9 ± 14.36 years. Majority (150, 50%) of the study subjects had inadequate OHL level followed by marginal OHL level which was seen among 90 (30%) subjects and 60 (20%) subjects had adequate OHL level. OHL level was slightly higher among females as compared to male subjects although the results were not statistically significant. A highly statistically significant negative correlation was found among OHL scores and OHRQoL scores of any individual. Conclusion: This study concluded that raising OHL scores can have a significant impact on OHRQoL of any individual.