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Dental pathology and alcohol‐related indicators in an outpatient clinic sample
Author(s) -
Kranzler Henry R.,
Babor Thomas F.,
Goldstein Laurence,
Gold Jeffrey
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
community dentistry and oral epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.061
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1600-0528
pISSN - 0301-5661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0528.1990.tb00058.x
Subject(s) - medicine , oral and maxillofacial pathology , dentistry , tooth loss , alcohol consumption , exploratory research , alcohol , psychiatry , oral health , biochemistry , chemistry , sociology , anthropology
A relationship between alcoholism and dental pathology (particularly missing teeth), has been reported in studies of male, inpatient alcoholics. The present exploratory study was undertaken to assess how readily these findings can be generalized to an unselected sample of male and female dental patients. Data on drinking behavior, alcohol‐related problems, and risk factors for alcoholism were obtained through an interview and questionnaire. A dental chart review provided measures of dental pathology. The results showed that measures of dental pathology (including tooth loss, carious teeth, and periodontal disease) correlated significantly with alcohol‐related indicators. The associations were more evident for males than for females, which is consistent with some studies of alcohol‐related medical consequences. The results suggest that further analytic studies of alcohol consumption and dental pathology are warranted. Because the relationship between tooth loss and harmful drinking was clearest among males with a history of conduct problems, subsequent research would benefit from a focus on this high‐risk group.