Cannabis Use and Tooth Loss by Race and Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity

Tooth loss is an indicator of oral health and may be affected by cannabis use. The authors aimed to examine whether cannabis use and frequency of past-month cannabis use (in days) were associated with tooth loss, especially among racial and/or sexual orientation/gender identity groups, in a cross-sectional, nationally representative sample of Americans.

The number of missing teeth was assessed in the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. Past-month cannabis use was assessed as both a binary and continuous variable (days of cannabis use) in 2024. Backwards selection selected covariates for 2 multivariate models. Final models were stratified by race/ethnicity and sexual orientation/gender identity if the interaction with cannabis use was significant.

After adjusting for covariates, current cannabis use was associated with 1.157 times higher odds of tooth loss (95% CI=1.065, 1.257), although this relationship was found to differ by racial/ethnic subgroups. Among non-Hispanic Whites, cannabis use was associated with higher odds of tooth loss (OR=1.223, 95% CI=1.119, 1.336), although no significant associations were found among other subgroups. Among those who used cannabis, each 1-day increase in the frequency of past-month cannabis use was associated with 1.009 times higher odds of tooth loss (95% CI=1.003, 1.015).

Cannabis use was significantly associated with tooth loss overall and among non-Hispanic Whites specifically. Frequency of cannabis use was significantly associated with tooth loss among those using cannabis. More research may be needed to fully understand the relationship among minority subgroups.