Summary: A study reveals a link between oral health problems and a range of mental health and addiction disorders.
Source: International Association for Dental Research
A study examining the mental health-oral health association cross-sectionally and longitudinally was presented at the 52nd Annual Meeting and Expo of the AADOCR, held in conjunction with the 47th Annual Meeting of the CADR. The AADOCR/CADR Annual Meeting and Expo was held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland from March 15-18, 2023.
The study, led by Alex Kalaigian of the University of California, San Francisco School of Dentistry, acquired self-reported data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study.
The Global Appraisal Individual Needs-Short Screener (GAIN-SS) measured mental health symptoms across three disorder categorizations: internalizing, externalizing, and substance use.
Six oral health conditions were assessed: self-rated oral health, bleeding gums, loose teeth, tooth loss, gum disease, and bone loss. A cross-sectional analysis in PATH Wave 4 (2016-2018, N=30,753) compared the survey-weighted prevalence of six oral health outcomes according to the severity of mental health conditions.
Prospectively, PATH Wave 5 (2018-2019) oral health outcomes were assessed based on Wave 4 mental health conditions (N=26,177). Survey-weighted logistic regression models controlled for confounders (age, sex, smoking, etc.) with imputation for missing values.
Cross-sectionally, all six oral health adverse events demonstrated a statistically significant higher prevalence with increasing severity of mental health conditions. For example, the adjusted odds of bone loss around the teeth were 1.79 times higher (95% CI: 1.30-2.46) in the high versus none/low internalizing problem categories.
Longitudinally, associations with externalizing problems and substance use largely dissipated, but multiple associations with internalizing problems persisted. For example, the adjusted risk of bleeding gums was 1.40 times higher (95% CI: 1.22-1.62) in the high versus none/low internalizing problem categories.
The study concluded that providers should expect higher levels of oral disease in patients with adverse mental disorders. Apart from externalizing problems and substance use, symptoms of internalizing problems are a plausible risk factor for future oral health problems.
These results can inform the medical and dental communities in the diagnosis and treatment of people with mental illness.
About this mental health research news
Author: Press office
Source: International Association for Dental Research
Contact: Press Office – International Association for Dental Research
Picture: Image is in public domain
Original research: The results will be presented at the annual meeting and exhibition of the AADOCR/CADR