March 2024

Objective: To determine the association between tooth loss and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among young men from southern Brazil. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 518 young men aged 18-19 years enlisted for mandatory military service in the Brazilian Army in two cities of southern Brazil in 2019-2021. Participants were clinically examined regarding gingivitis, dental caries experience (caries lesions, missing and filled surfaces), and malocclusion. A questionnaire collected socioeconomic information and the Oral Health Impact Profile 14 (OHIP-14). The outcome was OHRQoL, modeled as a discrete variable. The main explanatory variable was tooth loss due to caries (0 or ≥1). Negative binomial regression analysis was used; rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated. Results: Tooth loss prevalence was 22.2%. Associations were detected between tooth loss and OHRQoL in the physical pain and handicap domains. Individuals with at least one missing tooth had 17% higher OHIP-14 scores in the physical pain domain (adjusted RR=1.17; 95%CI=1.01, 1.35) and 49% higher in the handicap domain (adjusted RR=1.49; 95%CI=1.03, 2.15) than those with no tooth loss. Conclusions: Tooth loss was negatively associated with OHRQoL among 18-19-year-old Brazilian Army conscripts, and this association was related to physical pain and handicap domains. Keywords: Adolescent, Tooth loss, Quality of life, Cross-sectional study