Association between tooth loss and postural disorders and cervico-cranial pain syndromes: a single-center cross-sectional study

Objective: to study the association between the number of missing teeth (adentia) and postural disorders, headaches, and neck pain in dental patients. Materials and methods. A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted involving 356 patients (205 women, 151 men; mean age 44.6 ± 9.5 years) who sought dental care between 2020 and 2024. Patients were divided into 5 groups based on the number of missing teeth (0, 1–5, 6–10, 11–15, >15). Spearman correlation analysis, chi-square test, and logistic regression were used. Results. Postural disorders were found in 51.7% of patients, headaches in 53.1%, and neck pain in 57.3%. A statistically significant correlation was established between the number of missing teeth and postural disorders (r = 0.480, p < 0.001). With the loss of more than 15 teeth, the risk of postural disorders increased 19.4-fold (95% CI: 6.60–57.25), and neck pain increased 48.1-fold (95% CI: 10.29–224.92) compared to patients without adentia. Each additional missing tooth increased the odds of postural disorders by 19.6% (OR = 1.196; 95% CI: 1.137–1.257). Conclusion. A pronounced dose-dependent relationship between the number of missing teeth and postural disorders was revealed, supporting the concept of functional unity between the dentofacial system and the musculoskeletal apparatus.

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