Association of Work Patterns and Periodontitis Prevalence in Korean Adults Aged 50 Years or Older: A Nationwide Representative Study.

This study analyzed the relationship between the work pattern and the prevalence of periodontitis. We analyzed the data of 3320 adults (1779 men, 1543 women) aged 51-80 years from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2015). The work pattern was divided into two groups (regular and irregular). The periodontal status was assessed using the community periodontal index. We observed a statistically significant difference in the association between work patterns and prevalence of periodontitis in Korean women aged over 50 years. For female workers with irregular work patterns, the prevalence of periodontitis was lower than that in workers with regular work patterns by 10.3% (40.3% vs. 30.0%, p = 0.011). The annual health examination rate was significantly higher in the irregular group than in the regular group (for men 77.9% vs. 73.5%; p < 0.001, for women 76.4% vs. 75.9%; p < 0.001). In female workers with irregular work patterns, the annual dental examination rate was significantly higher than that in workers with a regular work pattern by 7.7% (34.3% vs. 26.6%, p = 0.043). In conclusion we found a statistically significant difference between the work patterns and prevalence of periodontitis in Korean women aged over 50 years.

Low Bone Mineral Density Is Associated with Tooth Loss in Postmenopausal Women: A Nationwide Representative Study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis and tooth loss are major health problems in postmenopausal women in a fast-aging country. In this study, we investigated the relationship between low bone mineral density (BMD) and edentulism. METHODS: Data for this cross-sectional study were obtained from the fifth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012. BMD was measured, and a dental examination was performed on the 2,129 postmenopausal (50-80 years) female participants. Multivariate logistic regression through complex sampling was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for osteopenia and osteoporosis in women with loss of at least eight teeth. RESULTS: The average number of missing teeth was significantly lower in women with a normal BMD than in those with osteopenia and osteoporosis (4.5 ± 0.4 vs. 6.7 ± 0.3 vs. 10.4 ± 0.5; p < 0.001). Women with abnormal BMD of the femoral neck were at higher risk of losing eight or more teeth than women with a normal BMD in the femoral neck (OR, 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88-2.99). Women with osteoporosis in the lumbar spine were also at a higher risk of losing eight or more teeth [OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.52-2.36] than were women with a normal BMD in the lumbar spine. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive edentulism might be associated with low BMD in postmenopausal women. Regular dental examination is recommended for the postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis to prevent tooth loss.