Orofacial pain and quality of life in early adolescents in India.

BACKGROUND: Orofacial pain may have an impact on quality of life. It may affect the overall well-being of an individual.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of orofacial pain and its impact on quality of life in early adolescents in Indore city, India.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study which included a total of 800 children selected from various public and private schools located in Indore city, India. A questionnaire was developed which collected information on sociodemographic characteristics and previous dental visits. The severity of pain was assessed using Von Korff pain scale and quality of life using the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). The chi-square test and logistic regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of orofacial pain was found to be 17.9%. Toothache (10.1%) was found to be the most prevalent orofacial pain followed by temporomandibular joint pain (4.3%). The highest severity of pain (Grades 3 and 4) was reported for toothache followed by temporomandibular joint pain. The results of the logistic regression model showed that the prevalence of orofacial pain (odds ratio=7.18, p-value<0.0001a) was strongly associated with poor quality of life.

CONCLUSION: The orofacial pain has a negative influence on the quality of life of adolescents. Effective policies should be created to improve the quality of life of adolescents focusing on oral health education and prevention of oral diseases.