English Longitudinal Study of Ageing: Associations Between Common Mental Disorder and Oral Health

Aim To assess the relationship between common mental disorder and oral health in a representative sample of older adults in England. Methods We analyzed cross‐sectional data from 8620 individuals aged 50 years and over who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, wave 3 (2006–2007). Common mental disorder (no/yes) was assessed using the 12‐Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12). Oral health outcomes were oral impact on daily performance (no impacts/at least one impact), self‐rated oral health (excellent; very good; good/fair; poor), and edentulousness (dentate/edentate). Associations were assessed using Poisson regression with robust variance, controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and health factors. Results Reporting at least one oral impact on daily performance was more prevalent among those with a common mental disorder than those without (PR = 1.60; 95% CI 1.32–1.96), as was reporting fair/poor self‐rated oral health (PR = 1.23; 95% CI 1.09–1.40) in fully adjusted analyses. We found no association between common mental disorder and edentulousness. Conclusion In this sample of UK older adults, common mental disorder was associated with poorer oral health. To promote healthy ageing, older adults with a common mental disorder should be supported to maintain good oral health.