Influence of oral health behavior and sociodemographic factors on remaining teeth in Korean adults

Abstract

In this study, the number and location of remaining teeth were analyzed according to sociodemographic variables, anthropometric measurements, and oral health behavior patterns. The hypothesis was that the number and location of remaining teeth would be affected by oral health behavior and by sociodemographic factors, such as education levels, household income, and urban/rural residency.This nationwide cross-sectional study was performed with a total of 36,026 representative Korean adults aged 19 and older. The data were taken from the 2012–2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Men had, on average, significantly more remaining teeth than women did. Women brushed their teeth more often than men per day and were more likely to brush their teeth after meals. The participants with higher education levels or household income had significantly more remaining teeth; the number of daily tooth brushing was positively associated with the number of remaining teeth; urban residents had significantly more remaining teeth than rural residents; and elderly adults had fewer remaining teeth than younger adults had (all with P < 0.05). The participants were more likely to retain their incisors (especially their canines) for their entire lifetimes than do so for their molars. From the incisors to the second premolars, they had more mandibular teeth than maxillary teeth, but among molars, they had more maxillary teeth than mandibular teeth. Elementary graduates with low household income had fewer remaining teeth than did university graduates with high household income (P < 0.0001). Finally, participants with high socioeconomic status were more likely to lose their molar teeth than anterior teeth compared to those with low socioeconomic status.The participants who brushed their teeth fewer times per day, those with low household incomes and/or education levels, and those who lived in rural districts had significantly higher prevalence of tooth loss than did other groups in Korean adults. Participants had more anterior and premolar teeth on mandible, but they had more molars on maxilla. In addition, participants with high socioeconomic status were more likely to lose their molar teeth than anterior teeth compared to those with low socioeconomic status.

Comparison of Periodontal Status Between Male Exclusive Narghile Smokers and Male Exclusive Cigarette Smokers

“…The number of remaining teeth of ENSs increases with increase in the daily toothbrushing frequency (Table 2). This result was in line with that observed in a Korean study (Song, Han, Choi, Ryu, & Park, 2016) where the number of remaining teeth means increased from 16.5 ± 0.5 in nonbrushers to 23.8 ± 0.1 in brushers of more than four toothbrushings per day.…”

Relationship between salivary haemoglobin and number of remaining teeth in older Koreans

“…First, the results may differ in other regions and in participants with different characteristics because (i) all study participants were residents of Incheon, where the socioeconomic status is relatively high; (ii) the sample was small; and (iii) most participants were women. Although the number of remaining teeth has been typically reported to differ by sex, no sex difference was found in the current study. A systematic review showed that gender differences in the number of remaining teeth have narrowed over the past 20 years and were not significant recently.…”

Distribution of Yeast Species and Risk Factors of Oral Colonization among the Residents at Nursing Homes in Taiwan

“…Interestingly, we also identified two less expected risk factors: being female and brushing teeth more than once a day. A nationwide study of 36,026 Korean adults found that women brushed their teeth more often than men did, but men retained more natural teeth than women [28]. There is no doubt that brushing teeth is important for maintaining oral health.…”