The Relationship Between Mental Health and Periodontal Disease: Insights from NHANES Data

Periodontal disease, initiated by dental biofilm and influenced by various local and systemic factors, includes stress as a potential contributor to its progression. Despite associations with severe forms like acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, a comprehensive large-sample study linking stress to periodontal disease is lacking. This study aims to investigate the relationship between mental health and periodontal disease.

Leveraging data (secondary dataset) from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2011-2012 and NHANES 2013-2014 cycles, relevant information was extracted. Mental health was the exposure variable, and periodontal disease, assessed through indices following Eke et al.'s definition, served as the outcome. Covariates (demographical characteristics) impacting periodontal disease were considered, and disease status analyses employed the Rao-Scott chi-squared test. A logistic regression model assessed mental health's impact on periodontal disease.

Among the 2764 Participants, more than a quarter (29.1%) were aged over 60 years, 52% were females. Logistic regression indicated higher odds of periodontal disease among individuals feeling bad about themselves for more than half of the day (OR 1.170, 95% CI 0.533-2.474), though statistical significance was not reached. Periodontitis prevalence significantly varied based on marital status, with 6.6% of married and 10.8% of unmarried Participants affected. Notably, a statistically significant difference in periodontitis prevalence existed between Participants with health insurance (8.3%) and those without (16.5%).

Our findings suggest trends in periodontal disease prevalence linked to mental health, marital status, and access to health insurance. However, the absence of statistically significant findings calls for caution in interpreting these relationships. We recommend that future studies further investigate these potential associations to provide a clearer understanding.