What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Pain.

Where was this research published?

Published in Oral health & preventive dentistry on October 2, 2026.

Frequent and smoked cannabis use linked with tooth loss in a survey study

Q: What did this research study find?

In a cross-sectional survey analysis, **daily or near-daily cannabis use was significantly associated with greater odds of tooth loss after adjustment** for reported demographic, tobacco, and health factors.

Exploring Associations Between Frequency and Methods of Cannabis Use and Tooth Loss.

Oral health & preventive dentistry • October 2, 2026 • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

This study asked whether the frequency and method of cannabis use are associated with tooth loss. It analyzed survey responses from 577,848 U.S. adults across five years of the cross-sectional Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Researchers compared adults reporting cannabis use in the past 30 days with those who did not, accounting for demographic factors, tobacco smoking, and chronic conditions.

Tooth loss was more common among cannabis users, particularly people reporting daily or near-daily use and those who smoked cannabis. After adjustment, daily or near-daily use remained significantly associated with greater odds of tooth loss, while infrequent use did not. Because this was an observational, cross-sectional analysis, it cannot show that cannabis use caused tooth loss or establish the direction of the association. This is an abstract-based summary; the abstract does not provide effect sizes, and it cannot establish the reasons for the observed association.

💡 Key Findings

In a cross-sectional survey analysis, daily or near-daily cannabis use was significantly associated with greater odds of tooth loss after adjustment for reported demographic, tobacco, and health factors.

High

80%

Infrequent cannabis use was not significantly associated with tooth loss after adjustment.

High

80%

Tooth loss was more common among people who smoked cannabis than among those using other consumption methods; this association does not establish that smoking caused the difference.

Good

70%

📄 Original Abstract

PURPOSE: The increasing use of cannabis for both medical and recreational purposes has been associated with negative effects on dental hygiene and oral health. This study examined the relationship between cannabis use and tooth loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analyses included 577,848 adults who participated in the 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 cross-sectional Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) surveys. The association between past 30-day cannabis use and tooth loss was evaluated using multinomial logistic regression, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, survey year, tobacco smoking status, and 10 chronic conditions. RESULTS: About 12.3% of participants reported using cannabis in the past 30 days, with 6.5% classified as infrequent users and 5.8% as daily or near-daily users. Smoking was the most common method, especially among daily or near-daily users. Cannabis use was more common among younger adults, men, non-Hispanic Black and multiracial adults, and current or former tobacco smokers. Use also increased over time, particularly among daily or near-daily users. Tooth loss increased with age and was more common among cannabis users, especially daily or near-daily users and those who smoked cannabis. Adults who smoked cannabis had a significantly higher prevalence of tooth loss than those using other consumption methods. After adjusting for factors such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, tobacco smoking, and 10 chronic conditions, daily or near-daily cannabis use remained significantly associated with greater odds of tooth loss, while infrequent use did not. Tooth loss was also strongly associated with chronic diseases, including arthritis, depression, asthma, and diabetes. Daily or near-daily users showed stronger associations with some chronic conditions, although no statistically significant association was found with heart attacks. CONCLUSION: Frequent and smoked cannabis use are associated with poorer oral health outcomes, particularly increased tooth loss.