Oral health outcomes among adults with diabetes served at HRSA-funded health centers.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association of diabetes with tooth loss and oral manifestations among adult health center patients (HCPs).

METHODS

This cross-sectional study utilized the nationally representative 2014 HCPs-Survey. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses limited to adults (n = 5524) were used to compare self-reported responses of tooth loss and oral manifestations (i.e., loose teeth, bleeding gums, mouth sores, and dry mouth) among HCPs with and without diabetes.

RESULTS

Almost a quarter of the HCPs reported having diabetes. Among patients with diabetes, more than half were 45-64 years old, had low-income status, and attended rural health centers. Analyses revealed that diabetes was significantly associated with permanent tooth loss and presence of at least one oral manifestation after controlling for confounders. Among adults with diabetes, probability of "missing at least one tooth." were two times higher compared to not missing any teeth [AOR = 2.10, (95%CI 1.40-3.16); P ≤0.001]. Adults with diabetes had higher odds of having one or more "oral manifestations" compared to adults without diabetes [AOR = 1.60, (95%CI 1.22-2.11); P = 0.001].

CONCLUSION

Diabetes disproportionately affects HCP adults (23%) compared to the general U.S. adult population (10%). In HCPs having diabetes was associated with a higher prevalence of oral manifestations (i.e., loose teeth, bleeding gums) and losing "At least one" of their permanent teeth. These findings suggest that adults with diabetes had higher prevalence of oral manifestations and tooth loss, highlighting the need for innovative interprofessional models for early screening and identification.