Social Support and Optimism in Relation to the Oral Health of Young Adults

Psychosocial factors largely external to the individual—such as social support and those that are inherently dispositional, like optimism—may both play a role in determining oral health outcomes and serve to buffer the effect of each other.

The aim of this study was to assess associations of social support and optimism on oral health.

Unadjusted analyses found high social support associated (P < 0.05) with fewer (mean ± SE) decayed teeth (0.6 ± 0.1) and less negative impact on quality of life (2.7 ± 0.2) compared to low support (1.0 ± 0.2 and 4.5 ± 0.4 respectively). High optimism was associated with fewer missing teeth (2.1 ± 0.2) and less negative impact on quality of life (2.1 ± 0.2) compared to low optimism (2.9 ± 0.2 and 3.8 ± 0.2, respectively). Multivariate regressions adjusted for dental visiting, toothbrushing, sex, income, work status and education showed social support and optimism had (P < 0.05) negative associations with missing teeth (β = −1.0) and caries experience (β = −1.5) for high support/high optimism compared to low support/low optimism. All three non-reference combinations of support/optimism showed negative associations (β = −1.6 to −2.4) with impact of problems compared to low support/low optimism.

Social support and optimism were associated with oral health. Impact of dental problems showed buffering of high support when optimism was low, and high optimism when support was low.