Oral health and workforce efficiency: Analyzing productivity loss using NHANES data

Objective: Oral diseases impair quality of life and may contribute to reduced work productivity. This study aimed to estimate productivity loss due to oral health conditions and to examine its association with oral health conditions using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) during 2017−2018 and 2019−2020. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of data from 6830 NHANES-participating adults ≥30 years who had received dental examinations and self-reported oral health-related productivity loss—was conducted. Oral health was measured using various proxy indicators such as self-rated oral health; periodontal disease awareness; bone loss; and the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Associations (odds ratios [OR]) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for oral health problems were estimated using logistic regression models adjusted for demographic variables, with productivity loss as the dependent variable. Results: Of all the participants, 3.69% reported that they faced productivity problems frequently due to oral health problems. Poor self-rated oral health (OR = 17.76), self-reported bone loss around the teeth (OR = 1.56), and higher DMFT scores were significantly associated with productivity loss. Non-Hispanic Black participants reported greater productivity loss compared with non-Hispanic White participants (OR = 2.4). Conclusion: The study findings demonstrated that poor oral health—including periodontal disease, bone loss, and dental caries—was significantly associated with productivity loss among US adults. Addressing this problem by providing access to dental care and preventive measures can increase workforce productivity and reduce economic losses.