The oral-sleep interface: Associations between oral health status and sleep outcomes in Canadian adults.

All four oral health indicators (self-reported oral health, oral pain, bleeding gums, dry mouth) were significantly associated with most of the four sleep outcomes in the fully adjusted models.

• Data came from adults aged 18+ in the 2017-2018 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), a nationally representative survey.
• Oral health indicators were self-reported oral health, oral pain, bleeding gums, and dry mouth.
• Sleep outcomes were short sleep duration, insomnia symptoms, unrefreshing sleep, and difficulty staying awake.
• Multivariable logistic regression was used with progressive adjustment for sociodemographic factors, health status, and health behaviors.

Poor self-reported oral health showed the strongest association with short sleep duration.

• The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for poor oral health with short sleep duration was 1.623.
• This estimate comes from the full adjusted model.

Dry mouth and oral pain had the strongest associations with insomnia symptoms.

• Dry mouth AOR: 1.904.
• Oral pain AOR: 1.826.
• Estimates are from the full adjusted model.

Oral pain and dry mouth were associated with higher odds of unrefreshing sleep.

• Oral pain AOR: 1.937.
• Dry mouth AOR: 1.808.

Dry mouth and oral pain had the strongest associations with difficulty staying awake.

• Dry mouth AOR: 1.720.
• Oral pain AOR: 1.701.

Oral health problems are associated with multiple dimensions of sleep disturbance, and the authors conclude this supports integrated dental and sleep care.

• The authors state that the findings highlight the need for integrated care and complementary screening between dental and sleep medicine.
• The study addresses a gap in population-based evidence on independent associations between multiple oral health dimensions and multiple sleep outcomes.