Welfare Dental Intervention Improves Employment and Quality of Life

• Published in: Journal of dental research Vol. 85; no. 1; pp. 79 - 84
• Main Authors: Hyde, S., Satariano, W.A., Weintraub, J.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States SAGE Publications 01.01.2006; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Adult; Attitude to Health; Black or African American; Cohort Studies; Dental Care; Employment; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Status; Hispanic or Latino; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Needs Assessment; Oral Health; Patient Satisfaction; Quality of Life; San Francisco; Social Welfare; Treatment Outcome; White People; San Francisco; dental treatment; employment; oral-health-related quality of life; welfare; dental program
• ISSN: 0022-0345; 1544-0591
• DOI: 10.1177/154405910608500114

Chronic, untreated oral disease adversely affects one’s systemic health, quality of life, and economic productivity. This study evaluated the effect of rehabilitative dental treatment on the oral-health-related quality of life and employment of welfare recipients. Three hundred and seventy-seven participants in a novel welfare dental program received oral examinations, questionnaires, and rehabilitative dental treatment. Seventy-nine percent of participants exhibited improvement in their oral-health-related quality-of-life scores following dental treatment. Improved OHIP-14 change scores were associated with being Caucasian or African-American, initial poor general health, severity of treatment urgency, worse baseline oral-health-related quality-of-life scores, subsequent patient satisfaction with the Dental Program, and resolution of their chief complaint (all p < 0.04). Those who completed their dental treatment were twice as likely to achieve a favorable/neutral employment outcome (OR = 2.01, 95%CI = 1.12, 3.62). Thus, oral health improved the quality of life and employment outcome for this welfare population.