Influence of oral health on smoking cessation intention in current smokers with insights from a nationally representative survey

This study examined the influence of oral health factors, including oral health status, behaviors, and service utilization, on smoking cessation intentions among current smokers. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from the Korean Community Health Survey (2010-2023), which included 551,982 current smokers. The primary outcome was smoking cessation intention, and key predictors included self-rated oral health, chewing difficulty, periodontal symptoms, oral health behaviors (brushing after lunch, flossing), and service utilization (dental checkups, dental scaling, unmet dental care needs). Multiple logistic regression models were employed, adjusting for sociodemographic and smoking-related factors. Among smokers, 66.3% intended to quit. Our findings suggest that several oral health-related factors are modestly but significantly associated with smoking cessation intention among current smokers. Specifically, individuals with better self-rated oral health were slightly more likely to report an intention to quit smoking (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.01-1.19). Similarly, chewing difficulty was positively associated with cessation intention (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.05-1.25), possibly reflecting heightened perceived health risks. Positive oral hygiene behaviors, such as brushing after lunch (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.07-1.22) and flossing (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.11-1.34), were also associated with increased quit intention, suggesting a broader health-conscious attitude. Additionally, unmet dental care needs were associated with greater likelihood of quit intention (OR 1.17; 95% CI 1.08-1.27), potentially indicating increased awareness of healthcare access and oral disease burden. These findings suggest that both adverse oral health experiences and positive oral health behaviors are associated with increased smoking cessation intention among current smokers, highlighting the relevance of oral health as a multidimensional factor in motivating quit attempts.