Sleep quality impact on the oral health status of sugar mill workers of Fazilka, Punjab: A cross-sectional study

Background: A trend toward adopting a 24/7 lifestyle, long working hours, and shift works in industries can adversely affect the sleep health of workers. Sleep deprivation not only has an adverse effect on physical health but may also affect oral health. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the impact of sleep quality on the oral health status of sugar mill workers of Fazilka, Punjab. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study comprised 237 participants. The oral health status of mill workers was assessed using simplified oral hygiene index (OHI-S), decayed-missing-filled surface (DMFS), community periodontal index (CPI), loss of attachment (LOA) indices, and sleep quality by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Windows, Version 20.0. (Armonk, NY, USA: IBM Corp) for statistical analysis. Chi-square test and t-test were applied, and the level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Production line workers (72.25%) reported poor sleep quality in comparison to administrative workers. The oral health assessment showed statistically significantly higher DMFS, OHI-S, CPI, and LOA scores in workers with poor sleep (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Working environment of sugar mill was associated with the sleep quality of the workers which in turn affects their oral health as sleep deprivation leads to neglected oral care, more adverse habits, and thus poor oral health.