OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between oral health measures and oral health-related quality of life as captured by OIDP (oral impacts on daily performances).

METHODS: The study was performed in three dental clinics in Sweden and included 204 patients, 43.8% men and 56.2% women (aged 20-86 years), consecutively recruited in connection with their routine dental examination. The patients were interviewed using the OIDP followed by a clinical examination. Four bite-wing radiographs were taken in two of the clinics (n = 154). A self-administered questionnaire provided information about socio-economic data.

RESULTS: Subjects >or=60 years had significantly more missing teeth, lesser maximal jaw opening, higher number of sites with alveolar bone loss and proportionally more filled teeth than younger individuals. Impacts related to the oral health that affected their daily life were reported in 39.7%. Multivariate logistic regressions analysis showed that missing teeth (>or=10) and a limited jaw opening (<40 mm) were significantly associated with having one or more impact as measured with the OIDP [odds ratio (OR) 6.50, 95% CI 1.48-28.43 and OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.03-7.96, respectively].

CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with diminished functional oral health status (missing teeth and limited jaw opening) had significantly more often one or more oral impacts on daily life than those with fewer than 10 missing teeth and a jaw opening >or=40 mm. The OIDP instrument may be valuable for use in routine dental check-ups in patients with related problems to determine possible oral impacts on daily life.