Objective

To verify the relations between sense of coherence (SOC) and dental caries on oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of adolescents.

Subject and Methods

A cross-sectional sample of 768 adolescents nested in a cohort study was evaluated. SOC was measured using Antonovsky’s scale. Dental caries was collected considering the decayed, missing, and filled teeth index (DMFT). OHRQoL was collected through the Child Perception Questionnaire. Demographic, socioeconomic, and use of service variables were also collected. The mediation effects between variables were tested by structural equation modeling.

Results

The average age of the individuals was 17.5 years. Individuals with high SOC scores had a positive impact on OHRQoL (coefficient β -0.573, p<0.00). Individuals with high DMFT (β 0.080, p = 0.034) and dental pain (β 0.079, p = 0.039) negatively impacted OHRQoL. Still, adolescents who had dental pain (β 0.112, p = 0.005), mothers with lower education levels (β -0.114, p = 0.004), lower household income (β -0.131, p = 0.003), and those who visited the dentist (β 0.109, p = 0.005) exhibited a higher DMFT index.

Conclusions

SOC and dental caries had a direct effect on OHRQoL, indicating that oral conditions and psychosocial characteristics are important contributors to OHRQoL.