Dental prosthesis needs among breast cancer survivors: a Korean nationwide cross-sectional study with subgroup analysis by menopausal status at diagnosis.

purposeAs breast cancer survival rates improve, attention is shifting toward long-term health outcomes, including oral health. This study evaluated the dental prosthesis needs of breast cancer survivors using a nationally representative sample and examined variations by menopausal status at diagnosis.

methodsThis nationwide cross-sectional study analyzed data from 14,886 Korean women aged ≥ 19 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) from 2016 to 2021. Among these, 214 participants reported a history of breast cancer. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare prosthetic needs and dental care utilization between breast cancer survivors and non-cancer controls, with subgroup analyses stratified by menopausal status at diagnosis.

resultsBreast cancer survivors had significantly greater needs for fixed prostheses than the non-breast cancer controls (OR 1.102, 95% CI 1.018-1.194). Postmenopausal survivors were more likely to require fixed prostheses (OR 1.56, p < 0.001), while premenopausal survivors had greater partial denture needs (OR 5.549, p = 0.009) than the non-breast cancer controls. No significant differences in dental visit frequency or self-perceived oral health were observed between groups.

conclusionBreast cancer diagnosis was significantly associated with higher prosthetic needs, though survivors did not perceive their oral health as worse and demonstrated dental care behaviors comparable to non-cancer individuals. These findings highlight a potential gap in survivor awareness and underscore the need for integrating oral health assessment into survivorship care planning. Targeted dental interventions and awareness programs may improve quality of life for breast cancer survivors.