Predicting Oral Health Status: Examining Sociodemographic, Dental Service Access, Dental Service Utilization, and Alcohol Use Predictors in Adults

Dental caries, periodontal disease, and reported pain are among the oral conditions which constitute oral health status. Identification of indicators that predict oral health status can improve the health and wellness of Americans. To identify predictors of oral health status, logistic regression analyses were performed on 2,848 adults included in the 2001-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survery (NHANES). Predictors included sociodemographic factors (race, gender, income, education), dental service access (possessing dental insurance or a regular dentist) and alcohol use as a behavioral risk (measured by frequency, quantity, and total weekly consumption), dental service use (dental visit past year, annual check-ups past 3 years). Caries were significantly (p<.05) more likely in blacks (OR=2.73), hispanics (OR=1.71), and males (OR= 1.23) and were less frequent in older adults (OR=.99)and those reporting a dental check-up in the last year (OR=.44). Periodontal and gum problems were significantly (p<.05) more likely among blacks (OR-2.34), hispanics (OR=1.80), and males (OR=1.61)and less likely in adults educated beyone high-school (OR=.65) and those who visited a dentist in the last year (OR=.65). Hispanics were significantly (p<.05) more likely to report dental pain in the last month (OR=1.79), while males were less likely (OR=.72) to report pain. The largest proportion of variance in oral health status was explained by sociodemographics (9.4%-16.0%) with less than 1% variance explained by dental service access, dental service utilization, and alcohol use. The limited amount of explained variance suggests the need to construct better measures of oral health status using NHANES data.