Association Between Beverage Consumption Patterns and Oral Sensitivity Among Adults in Karachi: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Oral sensitivity is a typical issue that may have a negative influence on oral hygiene habits, drinking and eating. Maleficent acidic drinks have been proposed to be causative factors or factors that cause oral sensitivity due to their erosive properties on the teeth hard tissue. Nonetheless, sales of evidence on relationships between beverage habits and oral sensitivity among adults, especially in Pakistan are scarce. The purpose of conducting this study was to investigate the relationship that exists between beverage habit and oral sensitivity that is self-reported with self-reported oral sensitivity among adults in Karachi, Pakistan. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study on 375 adult participants of 18 years and above was carried out using structured self-administered questionnaire which was administered using online resources. A non-probability convenience sampling technique was used in recruiting the participants. The data on the demographic variables, oral hygiene habits, drinking habits, and self-reported oral health outcomes were gathered. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics and chi-square test was used to determine the association between the frequency of beverage consumption and the outcome of oral health. p < 0.05 was set as the statistical significance. Results: The majority of participants were aged 18–25 years (71.7%), female (62.7%), and undergraduate students (48.8%). Acidic beverage consumption was common, with 48.3% of participants reporting consumption one to three times per week and 41.9% reporting consumption for more than five years. Self-reported tooth sensitivity was reported by 29.3% of participants, dental caries within the previous 12 months by 31.7%, and tooth erosion by 11.7%. No statistically significant associations were observed between the frequency of acidic beverage consumption and tooth sensitivity (χ² = 11.338, p = 0.183), dental caries (χ² = 2.729, p = 0.604), or tooth erosion (χ² = 13.942, p = 0.083). Conclusion: The consumption of acidic beverages was prevalent among the study group but there was no statistically significant relationship between beverage consumption frequency and self-reported oral sensitivity outcomes, dental caries or tooth erosion. Although statistically significant relationships were not detected, the prevalence of the use of acidic drinks indicates the need to encourage good nutrition and preventive dental care. It is proposed that future longitudinal studies that use objective clinical examination and multi-variable analysis can elucidate the relationship between beverage consumption patterns and oral health outcome better.