Methods: Data were from Wave III of the Aboriginal Birth Cohort Study; a prospective longitudinal investigation of Aboriginal individuals born 1987–1990 at the Royal Darwin Hospital, Northern Territory, Australia. Self-report and clinical data were collected. The dependent variable was ‘dental pain' as measured by a positive response to the item ‘do you have any pain in your teeth, gum or jaw right now?' Multivariate statistical models predicted odds of dental pain using information about socio-demographics, lifestyle, diet, oral health-related quality of life, dental service utilisation and clinical oral health status.
Results: Some 404 young adults participated; they ranged in age from 17.6 to 19.8 years and 46.2% were female. Some 106 (26.2%) reported having current pain in their teeth, gums or jaw. In multivariate analysis, risk factors for dental pain included soft drink consumption every day or a few times per week (OR 1.93, 95% CI 1.06–3.51), sweet consumption every day or a few times per week (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.56–4.49), commencing tooth brushing following eruption of permanent teeth (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.06–2.82) and experience of dental trauma (OR 1.68; 95% CI 1.03–2.76). The estimated odds of experiencing dental pain increased by 9% when DMFT scores increased by 1 (95% CI 1.03–1.16; Nagelkerke R2=0.235).
Conclusions: The regular consumption of cariogenic food and beverages, together with late onset of tooth brushing, tooth trauma and experience of dental disease were significant risk factors for dental pain in this cohort of Aboriginal young adults. Further analyses are required to determine the causal relationships of such predictors over the life-course.