Patients who self-refer and report poor oral health may experience the same negative systemic health consequences as those already diagnosed with gum disease.
Regardless of the number of teeth, patients who visit the dentist infrequently, floss infrequently, and report good or poor oral health may face an increased risk of all-cause mortality, the authors write.
“Self-rated oral health was associated with systemic comorbidities similar to previously diagnosed periodontal disease,” write the study authors, led by Dr. Yau-Hua Yu, DDS, associate professor of periodontology at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine.
To better understand the relationship between comorbid gum disease and its impact on overall mortality, university researchers conducted a self-administered oral health survey. Using two different very large data sets – the Women's Health Study and the US National Social Survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NHANES) – the authors analyzed information on periodontal disease, oral health issues, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and mortality over different time periods.
Patients in the Women's Health Study who reported periodontal disease in 2006 were expected to report worsening oral health, bone loss, or periodontal treatment in 2018.
Those who rated their dental health as fair or poor had an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (odds ratio [OR] 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.14–1.69; P <0.001) , diabetes (OR 1.21; 95% CI 1.02-1.43; p = 0.028) and osteoporosis (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.38-1.84; p <0.001).
In addition, NHANES participants who rated their oral health status as fair or poor faced a greater risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.02–1.37; p = 0.027).
However, the study had limitations, including the cross-sectional nature of the women's health status analysis and the varying timing of gum disease and oral health issues, which limits causal interpretation.
“The finding of increased all-cause mortality among those who visit the dentist less regularly highlights the urgent need to remove barriers to access to oral health care,” Yu and colleagues wrote.