Adverse and positive childhood experiences and dental pain in adulthood: a cross-sectional study

Dental pain is a key indicator of current oral health and a significant public health concern. Early-life family and social experiences may be associated with dental pain later in life, but the associations of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and positive childhood experiences (PCEs) with dental pain remain unclear. We analyzed data from a nationwide Internet survey conducted in February 2022, including non-edentulous adults. The outcome was self-reported dental pain in the past two months, and the primary independent variable was ACEs. Modified Poisson regression estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for potential confounders. We also examined ACE-PCE interaction and conducted analyses stratified by PCE scores. A total of 28,413 adults were included (mean age, 47.8 years; 48.8% men). Dental pain was reported by 12.6%, and ACEs by 37.5%. ACEs were positively associated with dental pain (PR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.22-1.38). The ACE-PCE interaction term was negatively associated with dental pain (PR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-0.99). PCEs may be associated with a weaker relationship between ACEs and dental pain, suggesting a life-course perspective between early-life experiences and oral health.