The association between tooth loss and risk of irritable bowel syndrome in Iranian adults

Although the relationship between number of teeth and gastric disturbances has been recognized, limited data are available linking tooth loss and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aimed to investigate the relation between dental status and IBS among Iranian adults. In a cross-sectional study on 4012 Iranian adults, dental status was evaluated using a selfadministered questionnaire. Participants were categorized into three main groups: those with full dentition, individual who had lost 1-5 teeth and those who had lost more than 5 teeth. IBS and its subtypes were defined using Rome III criteria. After adjusting for different confounding variables, those who had lost 1-5 teeth had 1.33 times greater odds for IBS than fully dentate subjects. After controlling for different confounders, individuals who had lost 1-5 teeth had 37% greater chance to have constipation-predominant IBS than those with full dentition (Odds ratio: 1.37, 95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.86). Neither in crude nor in adjusted models was any significant association between dental status and other subtypes of IBS. In addition, we did not find any association between losing more than 5 teeth and IBS. We found that losing 1-5 teeth was significantly associated with increased risk of IBS, particularly the constipation-predominant subtype. This association was seen in men, but not in women. There should be further studies to confirm these findings.