Association Between Self-Perceived Oral Health, Stress, and Oral Symptoms in South Korean University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Self-perceived oral health is influenced by clinical and subjective oral factors, socioeconomic status, stress, and oral health behaviors. However, few studies have examined its association with dry mouth, salivary viscosity, and lifestyle factors. This study investigated the impact of self-perceived oral health and stress levels on subjective oral symptoms and lifestyle factors. Methods: A total of 644 university students participated. Self-perceived oral health was subjectively evaluated using a single item, and stress levels were measured using the Korean version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), which has been validated for reliability and validity. Chi-square tests identified differences in self-perceived oral health and stress levels based on subjective oral symptoms and lifestyle factors. Logistic regression assessed the effects of tooth brushing frequency, periodontal disease diagnosis, dry mouth, and gingival bleeding on self-perceived oral health. Results: Subjective oral symptoms significantly associated with self-perceived oral health included gingival bleeding, dry mouth, and salivary viscosity; lifestyle factors included tooth brushing frequency and beverage consumption. Frequent tooth brushing increased the likelihood of perceiving oral health as good (OR = 1.363, p = 0.030), while dry mouth (OR = 0.576, p = 0.001) and gingival bleeding (OR = 0.597, p = 0.003) reduced it. Conclusions: This study’s results showed that gingival tooth brushing frequency and subjective oral symptoms significantly impacted self-perceived oral health. Therefore, effective educational programs should be implemented to promote self-perceived oral health awareness and oral health maintenance.