Cross-sectional associations between oral diseases and work productivity loss among regular employees in Japan

Abstract

The association between oral diseases and work productivity loss remains unclear. This study examined whether dental caries, tooth loss, and poor periodontal status were associated with absenteeism and presenteeism. This cross-sectional study used two independent datasets: 184 employees at a medical university and 435 employees from among the registrants of an online research company. Absenteeism and presenteeism, according to the World Health Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, were dependent variables. The independent variables were the number of decayed and filled teeth (DFT), missing teeth (MT), and self-reported periodontal status. Multivariable linear regression models were developed to estimate unstandardised coefficients with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for absenteeism and presenteeism. After adjusting for covariates, among the 435 employees enrolled from among the registrants of an online research company, poor periodontal status was significantly associated with a 7.8% (95%CI = −14.5, −1.0) decline in presenteeism but not absenteeism. DFT and MT were not significantly associated with either absenteeism or presenteeism in both populations. Given that periodontal status was potentially associated with a 7.8% decline in work performance, occupational specialists, managers, and dental health professionals should be aware of the impact on work productivity.