Abstract
BackgroundA growing body of epidemiologic evidence links oral health, obesity, and cardiovascular health, though few studies have reported on these relationships in children. While underlying mechanisms are unclear, adult studies have suggested sub-acute systemic inflammation, also implicated in the etiology of both obesity and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated associations between self-reported dental hygiene, obesity, and systemic inflammation in children.Methods128 children < 19 years of age from rural counties in West Virginia participated in a community-based health screening that included anthropometric assessments, blood collection, and a questionnaire about dental hygiene and self-assessed oral health.ResultsParticipants ranged from 3.0-18.7 years. Univariate analysis demonstrated an association between parent-reported dental hygiene, including frequency of preventive dental care and parent-assessed overall dental health, and markers of systemic inflammation but not obesity. In multivariable regression, parent-assessed overall dental health and obesity were independent predictors of systemic inflammation, after adjustment for age, gender, and parent education.ConclusionsThis is the first known study of the association between dental hygiene, obesity, and systemic inflammation in children. These results highlight the importance of preventive dental care in overall, systemic health in children and are consistent with previous reports in adults.
Highlights
A growing body of epidemiologic evidence links oral health, obesity, and cardiovascular health, though few studies have reported on these relationships in children
Investigators have reported a relationship between the cumulative burden of periodontal pathogenic burden and coronary heart disease [15], the presence of periodontal bacteria in atherosclerotic plaques [16,17,18,19], and elevated levels of systemic C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin(IL)-6 [20]
Almost 3⁄4 (73%) of the children were from a family where at least one parent had completed more than a high school education, and almost 1⁄2 (47%) were covered by employer-sponsored dental insurance
Summary
A growing body of epidemiologic evidence links oral health, obesity, and cardiovascular health, though few studies have reported on these relationships in children. While underlying mechanisms are unclear, adult studies have suggested sub-acute systemic inflammation, implicated in the etiology of both obesity and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated associations between self-reported dental hygiene, obesity, and systemic inflammation in children. There is a growing literature linking oral and periodontal health to increased risk for chronic health conditions, including obesity and cardiovascular disease. Additional epidemiologic studies have associated poor oral health with increased risk for myocardial infarction and coronary atherosclerosis [6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14]. Recent reports of randomized trials have reported improvement in systemic inflammation and endothelial function after treatment for periodontitis [21,22,23,24,25,26]
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