Oral health behaviors and metabolic syndrome: The 2008-2010 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objectives: This study examined whether oral health behaviors are associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults involved in the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Materials and methods: A total of 18,742 subjects (8,034 men and 10,708 women) were included. MetS was defined according to the criteria of the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Scientific Statement for Asians. Oral health behavior was assessed using a questionnaire included in the KNHANES. Results: Subjects with MetS brushed their teeth less frequently and used fewer secondary oral products than subjects without MetS (p < 0.01). As frequency of toothbrushing and number of secondary oral products increased, body mass index, waist circumference, diastolic blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, triglyceride, and white blood cell count decreased, but high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol increased (all p for trend <0.01). In the multivariable logistic regression models, as frequency of toothbrushing increased, the odds ratios (ORs) for MetS, abdominal obesity, and hyperglycemia are more than one after adjusting for age, gender, education, income, alcohol and tobacco use, physical activity, and the components of MetS. The ORs for MetS, abdominal obesity, and high blood pressure were more than one in subjects who do not use dental floss after adjusting for all covariates. Conclusion: MetS is associated with infrequent daily toothbrushing and disuse of dental floss in South Korean. Clinical relevance: Dentists may recommend evaluation for MetS in the patients with infrequent daily toothbrushing and disuse of dental floss.