Abstract Background Oral health plays a major role in daily life. Poor oral health is considered to have an influence on workplace absenteeism, as well as being an influential factor in missed dental appointments. However, little is known on this subject regarding the Saudi population. We aimed to assess the factors affecting workplace absenteeism and the missing of dental appointments among adult patients in Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 148 adult participants attending a dental school in Saudi Arabia for their first dental visit between November 2018 and April 2019. Logistic regression analysis with backward elimination (Wald test) identified independent predictors of dental visit patterns and absenteeism. Results Among participants, male gender (OR = 0.24, P = 0.004) and family history of periodontitis (OR 0.29; P = 0.025) were significantly associated with lower odds of missing dental visits. Smoking (OR 6.27; P = 0.033), DMFT score (OR 1.11; P = 0.024), and past dental visit (OR 59.73; P < 0.001) significantly increased the likelihood of workplace absenteeism. Clinical indicators, including oral hygiene, plaque, and calculus scores, were generally similar across groups. Conclusions Although recruitment of participants came from a dental teaching hospital, which could have an impact on generalizability, dental visit attendance and workplace absenteeism are influenced by both personal and family-level factors in Saudi adults. Targeted interventions, including family-centered or institution-based preventive programs, promotion of oral health literacy, and enhanced access to preventive care, may reduce oral disease burden and its functional consequences. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to establish causal pathways and evaluate the effectiveness of targeted interventions.
Omair Bukhari (Thu,) studied this question.