Oral Health And Related Behaviours Predict Well-being: An International Comparison

Objectives: Subjective perceptions of health are important considerations alongside clinical outcomes for effective treatment, however comparisons of person-reported measures between countries are complicated by differences in the way data are collected. We aimed to assess the role of oral health and oral health-related behaviours in relation to the well-being and health of dental patients in four countries, through a standardised oral health survey approach.
Methods: Data were taken from the FDI Oral Health Observatory Project, a multi-nation survey of patients, dentists and dental practices in partnership with national dental associations, collected via a standardised ‘global’ mobile app. Binary logistic regression was used to assess predictors of self-rated measures of well-being and general health in adult patients from China (n=2,555), Colombia (n=578), Italy (n=850) and Japan (n=1,412).
Results: In China, education, dental visiting patterns, and toothbrushing frequency were significantly associated with well-being (p<0.05) and general health (p<0.05). Statistically significant associations were also found between education and both well-being and general health in Colombia (p<0.05), while in Italy toothbrushing frequency was significantly associated with well-being (p<0.01). In Japan, education, dental visiting patterns, and frequency of eating sugary foods were significantly associated with well-being (p<0.05). Self-rated oral health was always significantly associated with both well-being and general health in all countries (p<0.05). All of these relationships were positive associations.
Conclusions: Initial results revealed consistent positive impacts of self-rated oral health on well-being and general health, reinforcing the value of good oral health. This research demonstrated some variation in predictors of well-being and general health internationally, while the significance of education in three countries highlights the importance of the social determinants of health. This research adds to existing knowledge on the links between oral health, general health and well-being, and demonstrates the benefits of collaborations aimed at providing large scale standardised international data.