title: Having fewer than 21 teeth associated with poorer general health among South Australians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore whether having less than 21 teeth is associated with poorer general health in a representative population sample of South Australians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were from a cross-sectional state-based survey, conducted from September to December 2013. Complete data were available for 2,908 participants (58 percent response rate). General health-related quality of life (HrQOL), as measured by the EuroQol instrument (EQ-5D-5L), was the main outcome measure. Total disutility scores were calculated, with the five individual EQ-5D dimensions then dichotomized into "no problems" and "at least one problem." The main explanatory variable was self-reported missing teeth, as assessed by having <21 teeth versus 21+ teeth in a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, disutility was low (0.09) (ranges from 0 to 1, with high scores indicating poorer general health). In multivariable analysis, total disutility was positively associated with older age, lower annual household income, lower levels of physical activity, being a current tobacco smoker, receiving mental health treatment and <21 teeth. When individual dimensions were considered, missing teeth remained significantly associated with mobility problems (PR 1.26, 95 percent CI 1.06, 1.50) and pain/discomfort (PR 1.16, 95 percent CI 1.06, 1.27).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Missing teeth was associated with poor general health status as measured by EQ-5D-5L disutility. The relationship was especially evident with respect to mobility and pain/discomfort. The findings emphasize the importance of oral health as predictors of general health.
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jamieson
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Marco A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Peres
authors.affiliation: School of Dentistry, Australian Research Centre for Population Oral Health, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Liana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luzzi
authors.affiliation: Tobacco Control Research and Evaluation, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Tobacco Control Research and Evaluation, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Jacqui
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bowden
authors.affiliation: Flinders Health Economics Group & Palliative Care Clinical Studies Collaborative, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Nikki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McCaffrey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007576:Jaw, Edentulous, Partially / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013021:South Australia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: EQ-5D; EQ-5D-5L; adults; disutility; epidemiology; health-related quality of life; mobility; pain/discomfort; physical activity; population survey