Prevalence of tooth wear diseases in patients with diabetes and its impact on the quality of life in Dakshina Kannada population: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Background Early detection and management of tooth wear (TW) has not been given due consideration in the dental profession. Thus, this study aimed to explore the prevalence of TW in adults with diabetes in Dakshina Kannada population using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) and recording its impact on quality of life using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Methods In total, 236 dentate adults with diabetes and TW, who visited the Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Mangalore were recruited to the study. Assessment of TW was done using BEWE during examination of each participant and was categorized as none, mild, moderate, and severe. Impact of TW on quality of life was assessed using the OHIP-14. Results Overall, 81 (34.30%) individuals had a poor score on the basic erosive tooth index, 82 (34.70%) had a medium score, . The level of TW, both moderate and severe (high), affected quality of life. Erosion, abrasion and attrition were seen in a large proportion of the study population. The diabetic status of the individual was collected from their medical file. The HbA1C level was found to range from good, fair and poor control. The quality of life among the study population was affected because of TW and diabetes. Few participants had hypertension along with diabetes. The majority of study participants were on oral hypoglycaemic agents. Participants used tooth brushes and tooth paste and brushing frequency varied between once or twice daily. Conclusions In the study population, there were moderate and severe TW patterns. Quality of life was found to be impacted by TW. Dental professionals must give proper consideration to the influence of TW on quality of life in addition to clinical findings. This will make it easier to offer preventive or restorative management depending on the situation.