Abstract
Background: Addiction to opioids causes several adverse effects, one of the most important of which is oral side effects. However, oral health has a noticeable impact on the quality of life. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the indicators of oral health and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among patients with opioid use disorder to help treatment planning. Methods: A total of 425 people suffering opioid use disorder were selected from addiction treatment centers in Sari. After recording demographic data, the OHRQoL questionnaire (OHIP[oral health impact profile]-14) was administered as an interview. Then nine questions related to xerostomia were asked and were followed by an oral examination to measure indices, including SBI (sulcus bleeding index), GI (gingival index), PI (plaque index), and DMFT (decayed, missed, and filled teeth), and an unstimulated salivary flow rate (USFR) sample was collected for weight measurement to determine patients' hyposalivation. Variables were described using mean, standard deviation, and frequency. Kolmogorov-Smirnov, independent t, and Pearson's correlation coefficient tests were used in this study. Multivariate linear regression was used to evaluate the factors related to the quality of life score of opioid users. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS16 with a significance level of 0.05. Results: The correlation between age, ADD-OHIP, and USFR with xerostomia was statistically significant (p < 0.05). GI, SBI, and DMFT indices in patients with hyposalivation (determined by measuring USFR) were lower than those without hyposalivation (determined by measuring USFR) and the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The results of the linear regression model showed that gender, xerostomia, and DMFT are the main determinants of OHIP. Conclusion: Gender, xerostomia, and DMFT are the main determinants of OHIP. Oral health and compliance with oral hygiene in people with opioid use disorder is poor and affects their quality of life. Therefore, providing them proper access to oral health services is necessary.