Association of Psychological Well-Being with Oral Conditions in Japanese Workers

Abstract

Although the effect of disorders on psychological well-being is well-known, there are few studies focusing on oral conditions at the worksite. The present study examined the association between psychological well-being and oral conditions of Japanese workers. A cross-sectional study was performed using data from 1381 Japanese civil service officers aged 20-59 yr old. Psychological well-being was measured with the 12-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) in a comprehensive health questionnaire, while measures for oral condition included self-rated oral health, oral symptoms and clinical indicators: dental caries, periodontal status and number of missing teeth. The mean GHQ scores according to the levels of each oral condition were estimated by analysis of variance, separately for males and females. Higher scores corresponded to poorer psychological well-being. Age, gender, smoking and type of occupation were adjusted in a multivariate analysis. Psychological well-being was not associated significantly with dental caries, periodontal status or number of missing teeth. The adjusted means of the GHQ scores for `conscious of appearance of mouth' were significantly different among the categories for both genders (male: p<0.001, female: p=0.018). For five of six oral symptoms, the adjusted means of GHQ scores were lowest for those respondents who rated their oral symptoms as `never or hardly ever.' Our results did not show that psychological well-being was associated with oral conditions measured by clinical indicators. However, an association was found between some oral symptoms and psychological well-being. Absence of oral symptoms seems to be related to better psychological well-being.