Self-reported Receipt of Health Information from Dental Professionals

Objectives: The integration of oral health and primary care has been identified as a strategy to improve access to care and health outcomes. The objective of this study was to determine the degree to which dental professionals are providing general health information to patients.
Methods: Data from 10,907 U.S. adults age 20 years and older, participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011-2014 were used for analyses. The associations between self-reported receipt of general health information from a dental provider, and select socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors were assessed using weighted univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression statistical analyses. The three types of health information analyzed were: (1) benefits of giving up cigarettes/tobacco, (2) benefits of checking blood sugar, and (3) importance of examining the mouth for oral cancer.
Results: Among adults with a dental visit in the past year (n= 5,949), 10.1% reported receiving information on cigarette/tobacco cessation, 6.0% reported receipt of information on checking blood sugar, and 23.4% reported receipt of information on the oral cancer examination from their dental provider. Statistically significant associations were observed between smoking status and receiving cigarette/tobacco cessation information (P <.0001), and between diabetes status and receiving blood sugar monitoring information (P<.0001). Forty-two percent (42.5%) of current smokers with a dental visit reported receiving information on cigarette/ tobacco cessation, while 23.1% of diabetics with a dental visit reported receiving information on checking blood sugar. Individuals age 65 years or older were twice as likely to report receiving information on the benefits of an oral cancer examination compared to those participants age 20-34 years [OR: 2.07, 95% CI (1.57, 2.71)].
Conclusions: Findings indicate that dentists may be targeting their provision of general health information to those patients at greatest risk.