Functional dentition and chronic noncommunicable diseases among adults in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the association between functional dentition and a prior diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and/or chronic kidney disease (CKD) in a nationally representative sample of the Brazilian population.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS). The PNS is representative of the Brazilian population. The associations between self-reported diagnoses of DM and/or CKD and the absence of functional dentition were assessed using multilevel logistic regression models, adjusted for sociodemographic and behavioral variables, such as age, sex, skin color, income, education, and smoking status.

RESULTS

Functional dentition was absent in 9.3% of the sample (95%CI, 8.9-9.7). Additionally, 8.8% (95%CI, 8.5-9.0) reported a previous diagnosis of DM, and 1.4% (95%CI, 1.3-1.5) a prior diagnosis of CKD. The proportion of individuals with both CKD and DM was 0.29% (95%CI, 0.27-0.32). In adjusted models, DM was significantly associated with the absence of functional dentition (OR, 1.16; 95%CI, 1.07; 1.23, p<0.001). No significant association was observed for CKD (OR, 1.06; 95%CI, 0.89; 1.26, p=0.48) or for individuals with both DM and CKD (OR, 1.08; 95%CI, 0.74; 1.57, p=0.66).

CONCLUSION

Diabetes is associated with a higher risk of functional dentition loss in the Brazilian population. Promoting collaboration between dental and medical professionals is essential to improve the prevention and management of tooth loss, particularly among individuals with diabetes, ultimately contributing to better overall health outcomes.