Exploring an Association of Demographic, Oral, and Systemic Health Factors Among Patients Attending a Teaching Dental Center

Abstract

Background: Updated information on oral health status could be used to monitor oral disease patterns, as widespread variations in oral health outcomes within and between different countries are reported. Aim: The objective was to examine the status of oral and systemic health and their association with demographic characteristics of the population attending a public dental center. Methods: A cross-sectional secondary analysis of the patients’ record was conducted during June 2017 attending the dental center of Madina Teaching hospital Faisalabad, Pakistan. Study variables were analyzed using the t test and the c2 test with a significance level of P ≤ .050. Results: The mean age of the study sample was 31.9 ± 14.5 years; 56% were females; 48% had primary or higher education; 9% were hypertensive; 5% had hepatitis; and 5% diabetes mellitus; 52% were with poor oral hygiene, 68% had dental caries, 84% had no fillings, 27% had tooth loss, and 99% functional dentition; 74% patients had calculus, 67% had gingivitis, and 5% had periodontitis. Age was the strongest risk indicator. Dental caries, tooth loss, poor oral hygiene, gingivitis, periodontitis, and tooth mobility were significantly associated with diabetes mellitus; tooth loss and tooth mobility were associated with cardiac disease; tooth loss, periodontitis, and tooth mobility were associated with hypertension, whereas tooth loss and calculus were associated with hepatitis. Higher age and lower income were positively associated with poor oral hygiene. Conclusion: Age and gender remain to be the strongest predictors for both oral and systemic conditions. Poor oral health and tooth loss showed a strong relationship with chronic systemic conditions.