At the 52nd Annual Conference & Exposition of the AADOCR, held in conjunction with the 47th Annual Meeting of the CADR, researchers presented the results of a cross-sectional and longitudinal study evaluating the link between mental and dental health. On March 15-18, 2023, the Oregon Convention Center in Portland hosted the AADOCR/CADR Annual Conference & Exposition.
Self-reported data were obtained from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study for the study, which was directed by Alex Kalaigian of the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry. Symptoms of mental illness were measured using the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs-Short Screener (GAIN-SS), which divided them into three groups based on whether they were caused by an internal, external, or substance use disorder.
Self-reported oral wellbeing, bleeding gums, loose teeth, tooth loss, gum disease, and bone loss were the six factors assessed. The prevalence of six oral wellbeing outcomes was compared across mental illness severity in a cross-sectional analysis of PATH Wave 4 (2016-2018, N=30,753). Wave 4 mental health issues (N=26,177) were used to prospectively evaluate PATH Wave 5 (2018-2019) oral wellbeing outcomes. In order to account for potential confounders, such as age, sex, tobacco usage, etc., survey-weighted logistic regression models were used alongside imputation for missing information.
Oral health is significantly impacted mental health severity
In a cross-sectional analysis, the six negative oral-health outcomes showed a statistically significant increased prevalence with increasing mental health problem severity. The adjusted probabilities of bone loss around teeth, for instance, were 1.79 times higher [95%CI 1.30-2.46] in the high versus none/low categories of internalising difficulties.
In contrast to the various correlations with internalising problems that remained over time, the associations with externalising and substance use disorders mainly faded over time. By comparing those with significant internalising issues to those with none or low levels, the adjusted chances of bleeding gums were 1.40 times higher [95%CI 1.22-1.62].
The results of the study showed that people with poor mental wellbeing were more likely to have oral disease than those without such problems. Symptoms of internalising difficulties are a feasible risk factor of future bad oral wellbeing, independent of externalising and substance use problems. Insights from this study may help medical and dental professionals better diagnose and care for patients with mental-health issues.
To read our article about “55 nations are facing COVID-19 health staff shortages, WHO” click here.
