title: Shortened dental arch and body mass index in adults 45-65 years of age: results from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2008.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many people have dental arches with unrestored edentulous areas posterior to natural teeth. One dental pattern is the shortened dental arch (SDA). As a result of the lack of teeth, individuals with an SDA may eat a restricted diet, including soft, highly processed foods. Such diets may increase the risk of being overweight or of obesity. We examined whether there was an association between SDA and body mass index (BMI) in adults 45-65 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  The data for this study were US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2008 merged files. There were 5,773 eligible participants. The data were examined for frequencies, and the results were analysed using the chi-square test and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 69.3% participants with a shortened mandibular arch and a BMI of ≥25 compared with 71.8% of participants who had a complete mandibular dental arch and a BMI of ≥25 (P=0.7246). There were 70.6% of participants with a shortened maxillary arch and a BMI of ≥25 compared with 71.9% of participants who had a complete maxillary dental arch and a BMI of ≥25 (P=0.8859). The adjusted odds ratio for shortened mandibular dental arch was 0.70 (95% CI: 0.46-1.08) for a BMI of ≥25 as compared with individuals with a BMI<25. The adjusted odds ratio for shortened maxillary dental arch was 1.06 (95% CI: 0.63-1.78) as compared with individuals with a BMI<25.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The research hypothesis that an SDA was related to higher BMI, and the corollary that restored or complete dentition had better odds of a lower BMI, were not supported.
authors.affiliation: Dental Practice and Rural Health, School of Dentistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.|Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
authors.forename: R Constance
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wiener
authors.affiliation: Dental Practice and Rural Health, School of Dentistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wiener
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003724:Dental Arch / Q000473:pathology; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology; D008437:Maxilla / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; Shortened dental arch; body mass index; obesity; overweight