Causal effect of tooth loss on depression: evidence from a population-wide natural experiment in the USA.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

Depression severely affects people's health and well-being. Oral diseases have been suggested to be associated with depression, but so far, there is no causal evidence. This study aimed to identify the causal effect of tooth loss on depression among US adults in a natural experiment study.

Methods

Instrumental variable analysis was conducted using data from 169 061 respondents born in 1940-1978 who participated in the 2006, 2008 or 2010 waves of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Random variation in tooth loss due to differential childhood exposure to drinking water fluoride was exploited as an instrument.

Results

US adults who were exposed to drinking water fluoride in childhood had more remaining teeth, therefore providing a robust instrume

SUBMITTER: Matsuyama Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8157508 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature