Evidence mapPaperPMID 40259285Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Association between oral health and bowel habits: a cross-sectional study.

Zuhong Ji, Jianwen Mei, Youjian Li, Zijie Wang, Zhirui Guo, Lin Miao

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Zuhong JiMedical Centre for Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Jianwen MeiDepartment of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Youjian LiDepartment of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Zijie WangQinghefang Community Health Service Station, Changshu Fifth People's Hospital, Suzhou, China.
Zhirui GuoLaboratory Medicine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. zhiruiguo@njmu.edu.cn.
Lin MiaoMedical Centre for Digestive Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China. linmiao@njmu.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOral diseases affect approximately 3.5 billion people worldwide, disproportionately burdening populations in developing countries. Chronic diarrhea and constipation, as common intestinal disorders, may interact bidirectionally with oral health, though their population-level associations remain unexamined.

methodsWe analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2005-2008, selecting participants based on inclusion criteria. Chronic diarrhea and constipation were defined based on the bowel health questionnaire. Oral health indicators (teeth condition and oral pain frequency) were derived from the oral health questionnaire. Covariates selected by Lasso regression were analyzed through adjusted logistic regression to examine associations between bowel habits and oral health. Restricted cubic splines (RCS), subgroup stratification, and sensitivity analyses were also used.

resultsA total of 7512 participants aged ≥ 20 with complete information were included. Multivariable logistic regression revealed a significant association between chronic constipation and poor teeth condition (OR:1.45, 95% CI: 1.05-2.01, P = 0.029). A U-shaped dose-response relationship was observed between stool frequency and poor teeth condition (nonlinear P-value = 0.002) using RCS analysis, with both abnormally low and high bowel frequencies correlating with increased oral health risks. No significant association was identified between oral pain frequency and abnormal bowel habits after full covariate adjustment. Stratified analyses indicated that daily dietary fiber intake ≥ 25 g was associated with reduced risks of poor teeth condition (chronic diarrhea OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.12-0.98; chronic constipation OR: 0.44, 95% CI: 0.13-1.09), whereas higher income (PIR > 3.5) correlated with elevated risks (chronic diarrhea OR: 2.38, 95% CI: 1.35-3.98; chronic constipation OR: 2.18, 95% CI: 1.22-3.70). Sensitivity analyses supported the stability of associations between abnormal bowel habits and poor teeth condition.

conclusionsBoth chronic constipation and diarrhea were associated with higher risk of poor teeth condition. In the general population and subgroup analyses, individuals with stool frequency around 8-10 times per week demonstrated the lowest risk of poor teeth condition. Stratified analysis indicates that dietary fiber intake and PIR might modify the observed relationship between abnormal bowel habits and teeth condition.

Indexed as

ConstipationDiarrheaOral HealthAdultAgedChronic DiseaseCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysSurveys and QuestionnairesUnited StatesYoung AdultChronic constipationChronic diarrheaNHANESOral health

Identifiers

PMID40259285
PMCPMC12010518

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.