Perception of the impact of oral issues on the quality of life of Indigenous populations of Espírito Santo, Brazil.

The disparities in oral health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can be seen as unfair. Although researchers have documented the precarious oral health of Indigenous people, some authors argue that there should be better research. This study evaluated the impact of oral issues on the quality of life and the association of sociodemographic characteristics, use of dental services, and need for removable dentures in the Indigenous population of the municipality of Aracruz, Espírito Santo State, Brazil. In this cross-sectional study, the perceived quality of life of 1,084 Guarani and Tupiniquim individuals was evaluated by the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP). Other variables were assessed by an adapted questionnaire. The associations between each independent variable and OHIP dimensions were assessed using the chi-squared and Fischer's exact tests. The strength of these associations was assessed by odds ratio. This study found that 495 Indigenous individuals reported an impact on their quality of life (a 45.7% prevalence). Physical pain and psychological discomfort had the highest percentages of impact. Individuals aged up to 50 years, with a self-reported need for removable partial dentures, and without a need for removable total dentures reported a greater perception of the impact of oral issues on their quality of life. The prevalence of impact of oral issues on quality of life of Indigenous individuals exceeded that of non-Indigenous ones in Aracruz, which shows this population's vulnerable oral health.