Diabetes or hypertension as risk indicators for missing teeth experience: An exploratory study in a sample of Mexican adults.

BACKGROUND: To determine an exploratory estimation of the strength of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension diagnoses as risk indicators for missing teeth in a sample of Mexican adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study of sixty adult patients in a health center in Mexico included as dependent variable, the number of missing teeth (and having a functional dentition) and as independent variables, diagnoses for diabetes or hypertension, age, sex, maximum level of schooling, and tobacco use. Of the 60 participants, 20 were diagnosed with T2DM, 13 with hypertension, and 27 were otherwise diagnosed as healthy in their most recent medical checkup. A negative binomial regression (NBR) model was generated. RESULTS: Mean age was 50.7 ± 16.2 and 50.0% were women. Mean number of missing teeth was 4.98 ± 4.17. In the multivariate NBR model, we observed that individuals with T2DM had higher risk of more missing teeth (incidence rate ratios [IRRs] = 3.13; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.09-4.69), followed by those with hypertension (IRRs = 2.63; 95% CI = 1.77-3.90). In addition, participants with current tobacco use were significantly more likely to have suffered tooth loss (P < 0.05) than those who were never smokers or former smokers, just like older participants (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: T2DM and hypertension are independently associated with higher experience of missing teeth in an open adult population in Mexico. Future studies with a more sophisticated epidemiological design and encompassing a more detailed landscape of chronic diseases, type and length of use of long-term medications, and patterns of dental care use are needed to better delineate these associations.

Maternal characteristics and treatment needs as predictors of dental health services utilisation among Mexican school children.

AIM: To determine whether maternal characteristics and treatment needs are associated with dental health services utilization (DHSU) in school children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study in 1373 school children aged 6- 12 years in elementary schools in Campeche, Mexico collected family and sociodemographic characteristics; an oral examination was conducted. The dependent variable was DHSU in the year preceding the study. RESULTS: DHSU prevalence was 65.5%. The variables associated (p<0.05) with DHSU in the final multivariate model were age (OR=1.27), maternal schooling (OR=1.07), mother's attitude toward oral health (OR=1.39), frequency of tooth brushing (OR=1.83), enamel defects (OR=1.55), and unmet oral health needs (moderate: OR=1.42 and high: OR=2.30). CONCLUSION: Specific sociodemographic and maternal variables were associated with DHSU. Strategies are needed to increase appropriate and timely use of services to improve health status.

Edentulism risk indicators among Mexican elders 60-year-old and older.

The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of edentulism in Mexican elders aged 60 years and older, and the associated risk indicators. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in 139 elders living in either of two long-term care (LTC) facilities, or attending an adult day center (ADC) in Pachuca, Mexico. A subject was edentulous when natural teeth were completely absent, determined through a clinical examination. Risk indicators were collected using questionnaires. Analyses were performed using binary logistic regression in STATA 9.0. Mean age was 79.0±9.8 years. Many subjects were women (69.1%). The prevalence of edentulism was 36.7%. In multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age and sex, the variables that were inversely associated (p<0.05) with edentulism were living with a spouse (odds ratio=OR=0.31), and lacking health insurance (OR=0.70). Variables associated with higher risk of being edentate were lower educational attainment (OR=1.61), having received radiation therapy (OR=4.49), being a smoker (OR=4.82), and having diabetes (OR=2.94) or other chronic illnesses (OR=1.82) (with hypertension approaching significance, p=0.067). In this sample of Mexican elders, diverse variables were associated with edentulism, in particular smoking and past radiotherapy. Oral health programs within and outside LTC/ADC should take into account risk factors specific to the older population.