Firoozeh Nilchian - Associate Professor, Dental Materials Research Center, Dental Research Institute AND Department of Dental Public Health, School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Seyed Mohammad Razavi - Professor, Implants Research Center, Dental Research Institute AND Department of Oral Pathology, School of Dentistry, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Sama Sadeghi-Sedeh - School of Dentistry, Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Bahman Sadeghi-Sedeh - Associate Professor, Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders with an unknown etiology. This study aimed to determine the relationship between IBS and oral health status such as the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index and Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (OHI-S) and related behaviors such as recorded tooth brushing and flossing.METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, ۲۴۰ volunteers who referred to Arvand Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran, and were screened for Manning and Rome criteria as well as IBS were selected. Finally, ۱۳۰ patients and ۱۱۰ controls were included in the study. The demographic information questionnaire, DMFT index, and OHI-S were recorded by the researchers. The logistic regression model was used to predict the oral health factors affecting IBS as a multivariate odds ratio (OR) using SPSS software. Statistical significance level was considered at P < ۰.۰۵.RESULTS: The descriptive results showed that the mean age of the participants was ۲۸.۴۵ ± ۵.۴۰ years and their mean marriage age was ۲۳.۷۰ ± ۳.۳۰ years. Irregular brushing, smoking, and history of recurrent oral aphthous or ulcers were found to be related to IBS, and brushing ۲-۳ times a day had a protective effect. Further, there was a significant relationship between DMFT index [Filled Teeth (FT): OR = ۳.۴۰, P = ۰.۰۳۰; Missing Teeth (MT): OR = ۲.۷۰, P = ۰.۰۲۹; Decayed Teeth (DT): OR = ۳.۴۲, P = ۰.۰۰۱] and IBS. Moreover, the results of OHI-S showed that IBS was associated with poor oral health [OR = ۲.۴۲, ۹۵% confidence interval (CI): ۲.۰۴-۲.۶۰, P = ۰.۰۱۳].CONCLUSION: Although, based on the data, it is not clear which disease was happened first, the poor oral health or IBS, patients with IBS need special attention with respect to oral health and its related behaviors.

Oral Health, Irritable bowel syndrome, DMFT index, Periodontal index