Identification of oral symptoms associated with atopic dermatitis in adolescents: Results from the Korea national representative survey 2009–2017

The relationship between oral health and atopic dermatitis (AD) remains unclear. Here we investigated the association between oral health status and AD using data from 634,299 subjects in the Korean Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS). Participants with oral symptoms were defined as those with any of following: sensitive teeth, toothache, bleeding gums or gum pain, and dry mouth. Current AD was determined by the question if participant had been diagnosed with AD from doctor within the past 12 months. We estimated the odds ratio (OR) for AD diagnosis according to the presence of oral symptoms. The OR for current AD, which is a dependent variable, was significantly increased in participants with oral symptoms, which are independent variables, in an adjusted model (OR, 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26–1.29; P < 0.001). In detailed analyses, all four oral symptoms were significantly associated with AD diagnosis: sensitive teeth (OR, 1.21; CI, 1.19–1.23; P < 0.001), bad breath (OR, 1.18; CI, 1.17–1.20; P < 0.001), toothache (OR, 1.18; CI, 1.16–1.20; P < 0.001), and bleeding gums (OR, 1.14; CI, 1.12–1.16; P < 0.001). In the presence of oral symptoms, the ORs for having two or more allergic diseases (AD, allergic rhinitis, and/or asthma) were higher than that of AD alone. In this study, oral symptoms appeared to be associated with AD in Korean adolescences.