Relationship between Chinese Baijiu consumption and dental caries among 55- to 74-year-old adults in Guangdong, southern China: a cross-sectional survey

Background Whether an association between alcohol consumption and dental caries exists is still unclear. Chinese Baijiu is the most common alcohol consumed by middle-aged and elderly Chinese individuals. This study aimed to assess the relationship between alcohol consumption (Chinese Baijiu) and dental caries in Guangdong Province, southern China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in Guangdong Province using a multistage, stratified, equal-sized, random sampling strategy. In total, 576 individuals aged 55–74 were recruited to fill out a questionnaire through face-to-face and one-on-one interviews and to undergo a series of dental examinations with a Community Periodontal Index (CPI) probe. According to the standard for clinical dentition examination of the WHO 2013 criteria, the presence of dental caries was determined by the DFT/DFRoot (decayed-filled tooth/root) index. The ratios of males to females and urban people to countrymen were both 1:1. Then, the chi-square test and rank-sum tests were used to compare the differences in caries between subgroups, and multivariate logistic regression analyses, as well as negative binomial regression analyses, were executed to identify the potential relationship between alcohol consumption and caries. Results The prevalence of crown caries was 79.17% with a DFT index of 3.19, while that of root caries was 61.28% with a DFRoot index of 2.08. The prevalence and mean tooth of crown caries of females were higher than those of males. The prevalence and mean DFRoot of root caries in rural areas were higher than those in urban areas. The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis and negative binomial regression analysis showed that there was a statistically significant negative correlation between the consumption frequency of Chinese Baijiu and caries (often vs. never/rarely, crown caries: odds ratio (OR) = 0.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26–1.13, P = 0.103, incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.44–0.92, P = 0.015; root caries: OR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.24–0.93, P = 0.030, IRR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.32–0.54, P = 0.008). Conclusions Within the limitations of this study, frequent consumption of Chinese Baijiu was a protective factor for caries in middle-aged and elderly people in Guangdong Province. However, considering the harm of alcohol to one’s general health, it is recommended to drink moderately and avoid alcohol abuse.