Factors Related to the Number of Existing Teeth among Korean Adults Aged 55–79 Years

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the association between the number of existing teeth (NET) and socioeconomic status (SES), oral health-related behaviours, and metabolic syndrome in Korean adults aged 55–79 years. The study included 3255 adults who underwent oral health examinations and answered questionnaires regarding SES, oral health-related behaviours, and metabolic diseases in the Sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2015). The dependent variable was the binary status based on the median NET in each age group. The independent variables were based on SES, oral health-related behaviours, and the presence of metabolic syndrome. The study findings showed that the factors associated with the NET were sex, household income, education level, region of residence, daily toothbrushing frequency, dental visit within 1 year, smoking, and metabolic syndrome. NET was lower in males (adjusted OR: 0.74), in low household income group (adjusted OR: 0.77), in primary school graduates (adjusted OR: 0.53) and in rural residents (adjusted OR: 0.78). The interventions aimed at preserving existing teeth in elderly population should consider their SES, oral health-related behaviours, and metabolic syndrome and overhauling current oral healthcare system and redefining the roles of oral health professionals.

Individual- and City-Level Socioeconomic Factors and Tooth Loss among Elderly People: A Cross-Level Multilevel Analysis

“…Our findings on the link between social inequalities and tooth loss are consistent with previous population-based single-level studies conducted in the Uruguay, Korea and Japan despite the methodological differences in the sample size, sample age group, sampling procedures, definition of outcome (e.g., severe tooth loss, number of remaining teeth) and measures of socioeconomic status (e.g., occupational history, income) [6][7][8]. Overall, these studies showed a high prevalence of tooth loss in the studied samples.…”

“…Secondary analysis of nationwide oral health surveys in different countries reported the influence of poor individual socioeconomic characteristics, such as family income, occupational history and educational level, on tooth loss among elders and adults [5][6][7][8]. These findings are in accordance with a recent systematic that concluded that lower levels of education and poor income were meaningful factors associated with edentulism among elderly people [9].…”

“…Overall, these studies showed a high prevalence of tooth loss in the studied samples. Furthermore, lower individual socioeconomic status was a meaningful factor of tooth loss among older adults and elderly people after adjusting for possible confounders [6][7][8]. Only one multilevel study reported significant associations of contextual social disadvantage and individual socioeconomic position with complete denture need [15].…”

Relationship between Subjective Oral Discomfort and Health-Related Quality of Life in the South Korean Elderly Population

“…Without appropriate treatment, such oral conditions may trigger not only systemic diseases but also a variety of other problems including mental health problems and depression, aesthetic issues, and interpersonal relationships, thus deteriorating the QOL of the elderly [5,7,12,19,20]. Moreover, oral diseases restrict dietary intake, which is the most crucial factor in maintaining good health in older people, leading to undernutrition and, ultimately, the triggering of systemic diseases and exacerbation of other health conditions [7,[21][22][23]. Therefore, improving various oral discomfort problems through the timely treatment of oral diseases is crucial in boosting the QOL of the elderly population.…”

“…Finally, tooth loss as a result of oral diseases weakens masticatory function and causes oral discomfort while chewing. In turn, the negative impact on a balanced diet and effective dietary intake ultimately contributes to elevated morbidity and mortality among the elderly population [7,8]. Tooth loss also has a direct impact on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) by causing toothache, inaccurate pronunciation, and altered appearance [7,9].…”