Caries and Systemic Diseases in Adults

Objectives: There is evidence of association between systemic diseases and oral conditions, although it is not clear if these are direct or mediated by underlying factors such as health behaviors. The aim of this work was to evaluate if self-reported systemic diseases were associated with caries experience. Methods: Medical history data and caries experience (DMFT and DMFS; Decayed, Missing due to caries, Filled Teeth/Surface) were obtained from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine Dental Registry and DNA Repository. Information on 389 subjects (212 females and 177 males) was evaluated. Results: High DMFS scores (40 or more affected surfaces) were more frequent in individuals reporting epilepsy (p=0.001) and diabetes (p=0.0000001) when compared to individuals with DMFS scores below 40. High DMFT scores (20 or more affected teeth; p=0.00001) and high DMFS scores (p=0.0006) were also associated with cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, individuals with history of tuberculosis were associated with DMFT scores below 20 (p=0.000005) and DMFS scores below 40 (p=0.001). No associations with caries experience were found for individuals with history of asthma, sinus infection, sickle cell anemia, hepatitis, liver diseases, bleeding problems, kidney diseases, HIV/AIDS, and cancer. Among the 82 individuals that declined to participate, 44 were females and 37 males (1 unknown). Conclusion: Individuals with cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy, and, diabetes are more severely affected by caries. On the contrary, individuals with history of tuberculosis have less severe caries.