Association between self-reported tooth loss, smoking and diabetes: Finding from the Mississippi behavioral risk factor surveillance system

BACKGROUND: Numerous epidemiological studies show an increasing trend of tooth loss due to tooth decay and periodontal disease. Some health conditions make people more likely to have tooth loss. Having an annual dental examination is a national goal of Healthy People 2020. Our objective was to examine whether an association exists between self-reported tooth loss, smoking and diabetes among adult population in Mississippi who participated in the Behavioral and Risk Factor Surveillance.

METHODS: We used data from the 2010 Mississippi Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to examine the association between self-reported tooth loss, smoking and diabetes among 8,089 survey respondents. We used multivariate regression modeling to investigate the cross-sectional association between self-reported tooth loss, diabetes and smoking.

RESULTS: Mean age was 55.8 ± 13.9 years, with 47.6% males and 52.4% females. In a multivariable model adjusting for age, sex and annual dental visits, there was a significant association between tooth loss and diabetes (AOR = 1.55, 95%CI = 1.15-2.01 and between tooth loss and smoking (AOR= 1.83, 95%CI = 1.38-2.44) among the survey participants. The association is stronger among current smokers who are also diabetics and who experienced tooth loss (AOR= 1.88, 95% CI 1.06-3.43).

CONCLUSIONS: An association between tooth loss, smoking and diabetes was evident among adults in Mississippi. Due to limitations of the available variables in the present databases, further studies including caries experience, hypertension prevalence and its confounders should be conducted to examine whether smoking and diabetes are true risks of tooth loss in adults.