Oral health in multimorbidity: A dominant yet neglected factor in rural Indian adults

Background: Multimorbidity is rising; oral disease co-occurrence patterns in rural Uttarakhand are understudied. Methods: Cross-sectional rural study (2023) n=250 aged 30–50. 20-minute interview and clinical assessment for oral and systemic morbidities. Results: 99.2% had ≥1 morbidity; 57.66% had both oral and systemic diseases. Hypertension + oral conditions (40.8%) most common; diabetes+hypertension+oral conditions (36.8%) common triad. Conclusion: Oral conditions are pervasive in multimorbidity patterns; integrated preventive strategies are needed.